


Voidtouched

by Punch_Detective



Series: Operator Rev Tal [2]
Category: Warframe
Genre: Canon Typical Violence, Fortuna - Freeform, Gen, Gratuitous amounts of Corpus, Medical, Mild Gore, Needles, Swearing, Violence, Warframe Spoilers, because reasons, hand trauma tw, idk yall will see eventually, improper use of sewing equipment, ok two new people are here now, old mate spoilers, post Apostasy Prologue, post chimera prologue, post the sacrifice, skeg, things might get kinda au now, this fic is pre jovian concord as it is so, transwoman Ticker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-01-04 13:38:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18344780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Punch_Detective/pseuds/Punch_Detective
Summary: Operator Rev Tal is highly protective of the Solaris and won't let something as trivial as the massive conglomerate that makes up the majority of Corpus holdings in the Origin System, funded in part by donations of millions if not billions of believers in Nef Anyo's doctrine stand in their way.Things aren't going to end well for at least one group involved.  It's probably not going to be the Solaris.(Contains spoilers for the Old Mate rank with Solaris United and the story quests through the Chimera Prologue)





	1. An Ultimatum

Fortuna.  Lit by blue and purple signs that displayed Corpus propaganda at all hours of the day.  Filled by the perpetual dull roar of machinery and the clanging of equipment. An environment saturated with the smell of hot metal and coolant so strong it turned the surface of Venus into a frozen tundra when it should be scorched raw by the Sun's power.  A land of extremes and opposites. Poverty, to the Solaris who lived and worked there. Riches, to the Corpus who exploited their workers and the environment. Great cruelty, but only a few feet away, great kindness. A city named “fortune” populated by the destitute.

Rev Tal loved it.  It felt more like a home than Cetus ever had.  Only the Iron Wake and their Orbiter came close to the odd sense of  _ belonging  _ that had set in when the Tenno first set foot in the underground city.  They loved the Meridian Grineer dearly, but they had more or less been adopted by them.  This was the other way around: Rev Tal was adopting the Solaris and appointing themself their protector.  Biz - The Business - had not expected quite that strong of a response when he had put out the call to the Tenno, but he was grateful that Rev Tal took to Venus like a servofish to coolant.  As if summoned by his thoughts, Rev Tal appeared near one of the pillars that held up the ceiling of the area Biz sold his fishing gear and worked with the rescued Vallis animals. It had taken him a while to learn to the the different Tenno apart, and to figure out which Warframes belonged to which Tenno.  Admittedly, there were still some he wasn’t sure who they really were.

Not Rev Tal, though.  Biz always knew when this specific Tenno was coming to see him.  He turned to greet them, patting the Warframe’s shoulder when they approached.  “Good to see you again, Rev.” He said, voice as gentle as always. Rev Tal was well trusted by the Solaris - considered one of their own and held the title Old Mate on the Solaris United roster.  Usually, Biz would open his rig and talk to them face to face, but not today. His other arm was occupied with a white-breasted virmink, and the animal’s tail was absently flicking against the front of his rig.  While a bit of a social faux pas, nobody could’ve blamed Biz for not opening his rig in this situation - a mouthful of virmink fur is never pleasant.

“You don’t usually hold them.”  Rev Tal commented, gesturing at the virmink, who sniffed at their Warframe’s fingers curiously.  “Something about not wanting them to imprint?”

“This one is already very tame.”  Biz chuckled in response, leaning back to sit on the table behind him and stroking the virmink’s head.  “I can’t release the poor fellow - it was starving when he was brought in and while a little snappy, clearly accustomed to humans.  Something tells me he was going to be some Corpus child’s pet but either got away or was released.”

The virmink licked Biz's hand, and the Solaris’ robotic head tilted slightly as he looked over at the Tenno, who had started to fidget slightly.  “... Which means yes, you can pet it.”

Biz had barely finished speaking when transference energy crackled along the Warframe’s body and Rev Tal materialized out of it, eyes wide with anticipation.  The virmink sniffed at their hand as Rev Tal reached out, and the Tenno chuckled slightly as they ran their fingers through its fur.

“It’s not as soft as I thought he was going to be.”  They mused, scratching behind the animal’s ears. “They look really fluffy and soft, but it’s kinda bristly.”

“Winter coat.”  Biz explained, shifting his grip on the virmink so that his hand was on the animal’s chest.  “When it’s warmer - relatively warmer, at least - they can get very soft. I think the stiff bristles help retain heat, and when they’re soft water and coolant won’t stick to their fur.  Roky has been asking for a tame virmink for a while, so I think I’m going to let her take care of this one. Apparently it was the only compromise that she and Boon could come up with.”

He chuckled again when Rev Tal gave him a quizzical look.  “They both wanted a mascot, but Eudi said no kubrodons in Fortuna, and Boon adamantly refuses to share a living space with a pobber.  So they settled on virmink. Smokefinger sounds happy about it too, mostly because they might have to stop playing skeg if they want to keep an animal.”

“You sound disappointed.”  Rev Tal commented, a wry grin on their face as they let the virmink sniff their hand some more.  “I thought you said that skeg sounds like a bag of hammers being thrown down a flight of stairs.”

“Oh, it does.”  Biz said, loosening his hold on the virmink when it started to squirm before climbing down his leg and darting into the den area that was set up under the table he was currently sitting on.  “I just happen to  _ like  _ the sound of a bag of hammers being thrown down some stairs.   _ Very  _ cathartic when you can’t exactly go out and give the Taxmen  _ the business _ like you used to when you were younger.”

The conversation came to a pause when a tone blared through the speakers of Fortuna.  The light changed - the screens that gave Fortuna its characteristic glow changing from modification advertisements and Corpus propaganda to the face of the man who owned the city, and by extension everyone in it.  ( _ “Nef Anyo here…” _ )  The virmink hissed at the bright pink flare that followed the alarm as Rev Tal quickly returned to transference and disappeared into their warframe once more.  Biz absently waved some of the sparks away from his rig, huffing in an exasperated manner. 

“Void.  That mucker just likes to hear himself talk.”  Biz grumbled, and Rev Tal gave an overdramatic gasp at Biz's use of the Solaris’ catch-all swear word.  “Were you going out on the Vallis today?”

“Nah, I was stopping by to see Ticker and help out with some cases.”  Rev Tal replied, shrugging and leaning on the table. They were both speaking a little louder than normal and completely ignoring whatever Nef Anyo was yelling.  “Might go to the back room as well. See what sort of news LD has. I do have a few spare servofish though - does someone need parts?”

“Someone always needs parts.”  Biz's voice had taken a rare bitter edge as he stood up off of the table and pulled a sapcaddy out of one of the tanks on the side of his area and began dismantling it.  

Another tone echoed through Fortuna and the normal lighting returned.  The city’s normal noises returned seconds after that. Biz's bitterness remained, though he made a weak attempt at a joke - nudging Rev Tal slightly and telling them to get their butt off of his table.  The Tenno obliged, slipping off the table and on to the floor in order to play with the virmink. It had taken interest to the sugatra at the end of their Zaw, and Rev Tal took the decoration off so that they could use it to play with the virmink.

 

\---

 

Biz held the door open for Rev Tal as the Tenno made their way into the back room.  They found an out of the way place and sat down, leaving transference and climbing up onto the table to sit on the edge.  Biz absently ruffled their hair as he took up his usual position next to Eudico, exchanging quiet words while Rev Tal hummed to themself.

“You two seem awfully chipper.”  Little Duck commented from her place by the lockers.  “Did  _ either _ of you listen to anything that charlatan said?”

“No.”  Biz and Rev Tal deadpanned in unison.

“If we don't pick up production, he's going to restart organic repos.”  Eudico sighed, leaning forward and resting her hands on the table. “But that puts me in a real tight spot, chek?  Everyone who can work… Already is. I can’t ask them to work more.”

“Not everyone.”  Biz interjected. “I don’t work on Corpus projects, and I’m fully capable of-”

“Oh, you’re capable, but the moment you step out onto the Vallis to-- I don’t know, seal a pipeline leak or something, you’re going to disappear for upwards of a month and show up again out of the blue with a litter of orphaned virmink kits and a Corpus bounty on your head.”

“That sounds oddly specific, Eudi.”  Little Duck commented, slowly walking over and looking at Eudico, tilting her head to the side slightly and peering out from under her hood.  “I’m sensing a story. Has he done that more than once?”

Biz made an indignant noise while Eudico gestured upwards with her thumb.  Little Duck’s face wasn’t visible, but Rev Tal got the distinct impression the Solaris spy had raised her eyebrows.

“More than  _ twice _ ?”  Little Duck was incredulous, while Biz mostly just looked somewhere between offended and embarrassed.

“It only happened three times, Eudi!”  Biz protested while Rev Tal failed to muffle their snickering.  “The third time I didn’t even have a- We’re off topic.”

“It seems to me that he’s trying to smoke out Vox Solaris.  Must’ve hired a new intel guy, don’t think he’d think of this on his own...”  Eudico said, returning to the matter at hand (to Biz's relief). She rubbed the back of her neck where her ‘head’ connected to her rig.  “If Vox’s transmissions stop while people who haven’t been working start working again, he’ll probably take them in for interrogation or worse.”

She sighed and shook her head, staring down at the table.  Blueprints and plans were scattered across it - detailing Solaris United plans, Fortuna’s layout, weapons specifications, vehicles, and one buried file that looked like it might be intimate information on the Profit-Taker Orb Mother that stood guard.  Eudico’s shoulders slumped slightly, and she shook her head once more. Biz quietly reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. Rev Tal watched, brow slightly furrowed - the Tenno wasn’t particularly used to seeing open displays of emotions from the Solaris.  Most thought the Solaris were a stoic and private people, and to Outworlders they were. The soft sound of an opening rig drew Eudico’s gaze from the table to Biz, and the man gave her a gentle smile.

“I know you’re tired, Eudi.  We all are. And I know you’re still haunted by what happened back then.”  Biz said, his hand dropping down to hers and squeezing it. “Times are different now, though.  Anyo’s still a wad of--” Biz paused and looked pointedly at Rev Tal before clearing his throat and continuing.  “-- But we have something we didn’t have last time. We have  _ allies _ , Eudi.   _ Powerful _ allies.  Allies Nef Anyo is afraid of.  Not just the Tenno, either! The Perrin Sequence opened their doors to Solaris rail agents.  There’s  _ hope _ , Eudi.  Look at me, face to face.  There’s  _ hope _ .”

“Hope’s dangerous.”  Eudico countered, her own rig sliding open as she studied Biz.  “Hope’s so dangerous. Hope almost got us all killed last time.”

“This isn’t last time.”  Biz turned Eudico’s hand over, covering it with his other and giving her a soft smile.  “You’re my closest friend, Eudico. We’ve been through hell together, and we’ve come out singing.”

“Hope… may be dangerous, but...”  Eudico began, taking a slow breath as if to steady her nerves.  Biz’s smile turned slightly wolfish as Eudico’s expression grew firm.  “But it’s up to us to decide who it’s dangerous  _ for _ .”

“That’s the spirit.”  Little Duck added as Biz snapped his rig closed.  “Right. What’s the play? You’ve got that ‘I’ve got a plan’ look in your eye.”

“We play along,  _ for now _ .”  Eudico said, straightening up and closing her rig.  She was speaking with the firm, confident voice that was reserved for Solaris United orders.  “Biz. You’re still not allowed to run jobs outside of Fortuna because of the virmink incidents, but I want you taking on shifts in Fortuna - and extra shifts if you can for folk like Legs and Zuud who can’t.  L.D., do the Taxmen know that you’re in Fortuna?”

“Not since I last checked.  As far as they know I’m riding the rails on the other side of the Origin System.”

“Good.”  Eudico’s tone had an unspoken ‘keep it that way’ order in it as she continued.  “Keep Vox Solaris transmissions running regularly. If anything,  _ increase _ frequency.  Run ‘em by me first, but feel free to write new speeches.  Call their bluff if you feel it won’t come back to bite us in the ass, and Sparky?”

Rev Tal had disappeared from where they had been sitting on the table - their Warframe standing next to Biz with shoulders square.  The Warframe’s head had the same amount of facial expression as the Solaris’ robotic heads - which is to say none, but everyone present knew how to read body language just as well as if not better than faces.  Nobody could see that Rev Tal’s teeth were bared in what could loosely be called a smile but it was clear in how they were holding themself. Eudico leaned forward, the cant of her head an obvious mirror of the Tenno’s borderline feral look.

“Give them Hell from us.”


	2. Inspection and Altercation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nef Anyo's changes start taking effect. Solaris U lets him know what they feel about that. Rev Tal gets a target on their back.

Soft mechanical humming followed the elevator down into Fortuna from the surface of Venus and the frozen wastes that was the Orb Vallis.  It had been getting a lot of use in the weeks following Nef Anyo’s ultimatum, and not just from Fortuna’s rig jockeys braving the Vallis to work.  No, Tenno assaults on Corpus holdings in the Vallis had increased significantly - Rev Tal and Little Duck had worked together to get the word out about what had happened, and the stream of Tenno in and out of Fortuna had only grown stronger.  It’s with a sense of grim satisfaction that Eudico noted that even though Fortuna’s production had increased, AnyoCorp’s profits were beginning to slow. She would’ve liked to see something more drastic, but there were already people working extra shifts without extra pay.  Whatever Nef could legally get away with, he would.

It helped that he wrote the laws.

Eudico stiffened and fixed her posture when the elevator doors opened and a squad of Corpus walked in, flanked by a pair of MOA and Ospreys.  Her ‘heart’ - the original one sold long ago to buy a gun - began to pound as she stood and walked forward to greet them.

“Eudico.  FB-9. I’m in charge here.  What’s going on?”

“Surprise inspection.”  The Corpus at the front said, thumping a datapad against Eudico’s rig and pushing past her.  She stumbled slightly, caught off-balance as she looked down to study it. Orders from the top, it seemed, and everything checked out.  Which wasn’t that surprising, given that the person who wrote the order was the same one who wrote the requirements for said order.

“Nothing was scheduled-”  Eudico started, turning to follow the Corpus.  The one who had spoken caught her by the front of the rig, leaning close.  He had taken off his helmet during the elevator ride, and this close Eudico could see the glint of his eyeshine from the glow of Fortuna’s lights.

“That’s kinda the point of a surprise inspection, isn’t it?”  He asked, squinting at Eudico. “Go back to your post, FB-9. We’ll make our way back to you.”

Eudico stood where she was, unsure of what to do.  A wordless presence appeared at her side - a cold, metallic hand pressing against her arm.  Rev Tal, recently back from the Vallis if the snow clinging to their Warframe was any indication.  There were Rules in Fortuna. Rules set in place by Eudico when the Tenno first arrived. Rules that Eudico knew she had no real physical way of enforcing, but rules that Rev Tal followed nonetheless.  The Corpus were breaking some of Eudico’s Rules, and the tension evident in Rev Tal’s shoulders showed how they felt about that.

“Follow them, Sparky.”  Eudico said, her voice low as she gave Rev Tal clandestine orders.  “I know you’re bad at it but, guts, try to be discreet about this. If they catch you watching-”

“Don’t tell them it was you who sent me.”  Rev Tal finished. Eudico nodded and watched grimly as the Tenno left her side and began all but stalking the Corpus, who were in the middle of harassing Smokefinger.

“... Have to be more specific.”  The mineralogist was saying, arms folded over his rig and keeping himself in between the Corpus and his cart.  It was impossible to tell if his defensive posturing was for his own safety, or the safety of his samples. “Have I noticed any suspicious Tenno activity.  All Tenno activity is suspicious, they are suspicious beings. But, I am not one to let someone’s idiosyncrasies sully a relationship because of my own personal biases.  It would be both unprofessional and frankly quite rude of me to do so. I would not have met and formed lasting friendships with many of my colleagues if we let our differences-  Where are you going? I wasn’t done!”

He huffed out an offended breath before returning to what he was doing before his interruption, muttering to himself.  One of the Corpus got the group’s leader’s attention, speaking rapidly in a hushed voice. Rev Tal watched from where they were standing by one of the support pillars, trying to parse what was said.  Of all the System’s languages, the Corpus language was the one Rev Tal had the least practice with. The only sentence they managed to catch and understand was “ _ Je’te teitj japyep _ .”

_ We’re being watched. _

No effort was made on the Tenno’s part to hide their Warframe when the man turned to look where his underling had gestured.  Even with other Tenno and their Warframes milling about and contributing to Fortuna’s hustle and bustle - some more brightly colored than Rev Tal - they still stood out.  Perhaps it was the unnatural stillness of the Warframe, leaning against the support pole in a relaxed yet alert manner - no perceptible movement except for the slightest raising of the Warframe’s chin when it was clear that they had been seen.  What little color in the leader’s face drained slightly, a brief flicker of fear crossing his face before his expression once again hardened. Orders were given, and the inspection continued. Rev Tal continued to watch them, but not from their Warframe.

So few knew about the Tenno’s true forms that even if Rev Tal had to briefly leave the small pocket of Void energy that was keeping them hidden from view, they doubted that the Corpus would recognize them for what they were.  But they knew that their appearance was strange enough to at the very least raise a few questions - questions that Eudico couldn’t possibly answer - so they hid and watched and listened.

Zuud seemed next on the list for inspection.  She was in the middle of working on something when the Corpus approached her, the leader clearing his throat when Zuud didn’t acknowledge his presence in any way.  In true Zuud fashion, periodically she would strike the side of her robotic head as if to clear the small bursts of static that would interrupt her work. Once in a while, the static seemed to make a point and Zuud would grumble about it before making an adjustment.  The Corpus cleared his throat a little louder after less than a minute of Zuud ignoring him. She continued to ignore him.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore your higher-ups?”  He finally demanded, and Zuud briefly glanced over her shoulder before going back to what she was working on.

“Yup!  Why do ya think they call me  _ Rude Zuud _ ?”  She asked before groaning quietly through another burst of static that almost sounded irritated.  “Now kindly shove off. I’m working.”

Rev Tal had to stifle their laughter at the taken-aback expression on the Corpus’ face.  Clearly he was used to people bowing and scraping around him, and it was very likely that he had never dealt with anyone he considered his inferior who behaved quite like Zuud before.  Eventually, he managed to arrange his stunned expression into a forced smile.

“Well, what is it you’re working on?”  He asked, a fake sweetness in his voice that made Rev Tal kind of want to punch him.  Judging by the way Zuud balled one of her hands into a fist, she felt the same way. “It doesn’t look like a Corpus project.”

“It’s not.”  Zuud retorted.  “It’s  _ art _ .”

“Do you really have the time to be working on art?”  The Corpus leader asked as he approached Zuud and placed a hand on her shoulder, still with the forced smile and falsely honeyed voice.  Zuud visibly stiffened the moment his hand touched her arm, and she roughly pushed his hand off her arm and stood up from where she was sitting, shaking her arm as she struggled to stay composed.

“Don’t… Touch me.”  Zuud spat through gritted teeth.  Although she was considerably shorter than the Corpus - who may have been an Eximus of some sort, now that Rev Tal was getting a closer look at him - Zuud was still able to cause him to back up.  “Dunno if you’ve noticed, but I’m a wee bit volatile. Not sure you want someone like me swinging a motherwrench or sawchain around. It might catch you in the muckin’ face.”

The Eximus balked at the outburst, taking a few steps back before his expression hardened and he reached out to grab the front of Zuud’s rig.  It was the same way he had grabbed Eudico, and he pulled Zuud closer - eyes narrowed as his brow furrowed. 

“Are you threatening me, Rude Zuud?”  He asked, attempting to stare down Zuud’s robotic head.  “You’d better not be. Not when you’re wanted for debts. Not when you’re on the short list for who Vox Solaris really is.  Not when I’m here w-”

Whatever else the Corpus Eximus was going to threaten Zuud with never made it past his lips.  In response to her previous statement of  _ don’t touch me _ being ignored, Zuud had grabbed his head and driven it down into her knee.  The sound of cartilage meeting metal and then losing that particular fight was somehow deafening as Fortuna ground to an abrupt halt.  Only a small handful of Solaris had ever raised a hand against a Corpus officer, and most were now either dead or effectively dead - wasting away in whatever containment facility the brain-shelved were taken to.  Zuud had just brought that number up by one. The implications of what she had done started to sink in, and Zuud seemed to shrink in on herself - visibly shaking as she tried to control her breaths.

“I told him not to touch me.”  She gasped out, looking around at everyone staring.  “I- I told him not to touch me. I told him.”

Blood dripped from the Eximus’ now-broken nose as he slowly got to his feet, cradling his injury.  The red stream painted itself over his tattoos as he snarled - baring pink-tinged teeth at Zuud. The Proxies and Crewmen around him raised their weapons, training on the center of Zuud’s rig.

“ _ Ok, you tipyk _ .”  He wheezed.  “ _ You tipyk.  You’te it tot ip toj. _ ”

_ Oh, you bitch.  You bitch. You’re in for it now. _

He raised his hand to give the signal to fire, and three things happened in rapid succession.  The first was that Rev Tal left their Void energy bubble - drawing the energy to the contraption strapped to their arm instead and releasing it in a series of hot pink blasts that tore apart the MOA proxies as if they were made of paper instead of carefully-concocted alloys.  The second was that the Tenno called on the Void once more, pulling their Warframe towards them as Rev Tal reentered Transference, placing themself squarely between Zuud and the Corpus squad. They put their arms behind their back, leaning forward slightly as if to challenge the Corpus to shoot.  The third...

The third surprised everyone.  Fortuna’s screens went dark before flickering to life as the distorted Voice of the Solaris began to speak.

“Solaris.  The threat of organics repossession once again is held over our heads and rigs.  We put our lives, health, minds, and bodies on the line to fuel the Corpus system.  And for what? Ever-increasing quotas. Continued subjugation and exploitation. The Corpus want us to think they have forgotten that we are not their Proxies.  They want us to think that in the eyes of Nef Anyo and the rest of the Corpus Board, we are so utterly dehumanized that they have forgotten what we are. What we are capable of.”

As Vox Solaris spoke, it seemed like any remaining hint of color in the Corpus Eximus’ cheeks drained away.

“Every repossession - organic or otherwise - is an act of explicit violence.  The Corpus are not the ones who have forgotten what we are capable of. Solaris - we have been living in fear of the Taxmen for so long that we have forgotten ourselves.  We have forgotten that tools can become weapons simply by changing where they are aimed. If the Corpus shall display their violence for all the System to see, then so shall we.  Every repossession is an act of violence against us. Every act of violence against us is a call to action. Solaris divided, we are nothing. Solaris united, we will rise.”

The atmosphere had shifted by the time the screens returned to normal.  It seemed that Ticker had taken advantage of the confusion to come down from her perch and had wrapped a blanket around Zuud, holding the other Solaris gently as she broke down and sobbed.  Assorted rig jockeys had stopped their work, and more than one was looking down at the tool in their hands as if they had never seen it before. One walked over to stand beside Rev Tal, setting the head of his motherwrench on the ground with a fairly impressive thud before leaning against it almost casually.

“Figure I’m not much compared to a Tenno.”  He said, rubbing the connection between his rig and sensor array.  “But… I can see what’s happening here. If you want Zuud, you’ve gotta go through the two of us.”

“Three of us.”  Ticker corrected.  Rev Tal turned and dipped their head to her as a sign of thanks before turning back to the Eximus and taking a step forward.

“I’ve seen enough.”  He announced, glaring down at the destroyed proxies.  A few barked Corpus orders, and the surprise inspection team was headed out of Fortuna - followed by a procession of rig jockeys headed by Rev Tal.  The Eximus paused at the elevator, looking back at the city.

“You’re all gonna be in deep shit if this keeps up.”  He said, addressing all of Fortuna but glaring specifically at Eudico.  “The Void punishes those who deserve it. The Void-”

“What do you know of the Void?”  Rev Tal interrupted. It was the first time they had spoken to the Corpus, and the alarm on his face was clear - as if he didn’t know the Tenno could speak.  “You know what Nef has told you. You  _ only  _ know what Nef has told you.  You have no concept of what the Void really is.  Nef  _ can’t  _ know the Void.  Not like I do.”

Their Warframe warped their voice - layering it with a harsh, deep whisper.  They strode forward while they spoke, growling out the last sentence while all but pushing the Eximus back into the elevator.  The doors closed in his shocked face, and Rev Tal sighed and leaned their head against the cool metal - suddenly exhausted. Eudico’s hand found their back, alternating between gently rubbing and patting them.

“That was really stupid of you to say, Sparky.”  She told the Tenno, who only laughed weakly in response.  “You’re painting a pretty big target on yourself.”

“I already glow hot pink and my Harrow here is over what, seven feet tall?  Not sure how much bigger I can make it.” Rev Tal countered, turning their head to look at Eudico.  “Besides… If anyone can handle a target on them-”

“Don’t finish that thought, Rev.”  Eudico said, shaking her head. “Too many people have said that and then not come back.  Don’t become one of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm filling in some stuff with headcanons and picking up some details from the mem fragments that are scattered around the Vallis, but are also all mostly on the wiki.
> 
> The Corpus comes from a cypher translation that one of my friends worked up. No clue if it's right. It sounds right if you mumble it under your breath, which is close enough for me. One time I heard one of the Crewmen in game say "tipyk" to me and I just immediately went >:O because that's how you say bitch.
> 
> It's also the name of my MOA


	3. Blasphemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nef Anyo makes his stance known. Rev Tal retaliates in kind. Things begin to escalate. The target on Rev Tal's back gets bigger.

Something was distinctly off.  AnyoCorp Eximi very rarely returned from what was _supposed_ to be a routine - albeit surprise - inspection of Fortuna without the squad’s proxies, a broken nose, and _scared out of his mind_ .  He was praying under his breath as the doctors discussed what to do.  He was an _Eximus_ after all - it's not like he could walk around with anything less than a perfect face, one argued.  The other was adamant that the healing process should proceed naturally and provided there were no breathing issues a crooked nose might improve his effectiveness in the field.  Clearly, he had been in combat and lived - the subordinates would be far more likely to obey his orders if there was a visual cue!

They were still bickering when the door to the consultation room slid open.  “No decision has been made yet, give us more t-- “

“Leave us.  Make your decision outside.”

The stunned doctors obeyed without question.  Even the injured Eximus fell silent as the newcomer walked forward, studying his face in silence.  His voice was well known throughout the System, best among the Corpus, and the more devout the Corpus the better they knew his voice.  This Eximus was particularly devout, and stared at Nef Anyo in awe. He had never been face-to-face with the Prophet of Profit before, even through all his years at AnyoCorp.

“Is it true?”  Anyo asked, sitting down across from the Eximus.  For once, he wasn't wearing the elaborate getup he was most famous for.  “The Tenno - one spoke to you? Claimed to have the Void's gift? Repeating what they said won't be blasphemy.”

The Eximus swallowed before nodding weakly.  “They. They said that you couldn't know the Void like they do.  Said you couldn't.”

Nef Anyo sucked air in between his teeth, rubbing the bridge of his nose and steepling his fingers in front of his face.  His expression was unreadable - the tattoos covering his eyes made it difficult to tell what he was thinking. A dark look briefly flickered across his face before he looked at the Eximus with a broad smile.

“The Void smiles on us!”  He declared, standing up and putting his hands on the Eximus’ shoulders.  “If what this Tenno says is true, then we have been given an Emissary of the Void!  We will be able to learn hidden truths that no others will be privy to! Surely, we are blessed to have such an opportunity.  The Void was merely testing your faith, and you’ve done well to hold on to it so tightly.”

He moved one of his hands to the Eximus’ cheek, still beaming benevolently.  “May the Void bless your credits for bringing this to my attention. …And tell the doctors to fix your face.”

Nef swept out of the room, smile quickly morphing into a grimace.  He snapped his fingers to get the attention of a passing Crewman. “You.  Get my broadcast studio ready. And you!” He snapped at a different Crewman, lip curling slightly.  “Comb the Solaris debt records and send in repo squads. Fudge some data if you have to. Just take _something_ from them.”

 

\---

 

“How’s Zuud?”

Ticker glanced over at the Tenno.  They were still in their warframe, fidgeting with the skirt that draped down their legs while they sat just outside Ticker’s private quarters.  The Solaris sighed quietly and sat down next to Rev Tal, reaching over and gently rubbing the Tenno’s back.

“She finally fell asleep.”  She said, sliding open her rig and leaning back.  “Chatter calmed down a while before that, and that helped a lot.  So did assuring her that all of her debts are squared away. Not much the Taxmen can do against us if we’ve managed to pay off our bodies.”

Ticker seemed bitter as she spoke, a faraway look in her eyes as she squeezed a worn glove.  The old synthetic leather creaked slightly under the pressure of Ticker’s grip until she relaxed, looking down at the glove.  Rev Tal didn’t ask who the glove belonged to. They didn’t need to. Respect for the dead or lost kept the Tenno from asking the question burning in their mind until Ticker put the glove back where she kept it.

“ _Are_ her debts paid in full?”

“By my records?  Yes. Wouldn’t put it past Nef to change the books to suit his needs, though…  He’s done it before.” She sighed, glancing over at the Tenno. “... You've never seen a repo squad, have you?  You were out on the Vallis when Legs… well, you'll know one when you see it.”

“Is this where you tell me to stay out of it?”  Rev Tal's question only caused Ticker to laugh.

“By the Void, no!  Eudico might, but… no.  No, I say if you see a repo squad you do something about it.  I'll turn the other way and keep my mouth shut.” She winked at Rev Tal.  “I'm up here with my thrifted goods. I didn't see or hear anything. My little side business wouldn’t be nearly as effective as it is if I stuck my nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Rev Tal slowly stood to leave, the chains on the sides of their Warframe’s head swaying and making soft clinking noises as they got to their feet.  Fortuna’s atmosphere felt charged, a rolling tension underlying every word spoken, every action taken. It was making Rev Tal’s skin crawl even in Transference, and the Tenno found themself needing to get up and _move_ around - lest the tension drove them out of their mind.

“Stardust, wait a moment.”  Ticker called when Rev Tal was almost to the balcony - one leg up on the railing as they were poised to leap off.  They glanced back at Ticker, who walked forward. “There’s an old Solaris trick. I learned it when I was a young, reckless rig jockey with fresh mods and you remind me of that young Ticker - void bless her, she still thought she was a man - so I’m going to pass it on to you.  If you ever find yourself needing to make a hard decision, you open your rig. You breathe in the smells and take in the sights with all of your own senses. You feel the air on your skin. Young rig jockeys think they’re invincible. Open up the rig and remind yourself that you’re not, clear your head, then make the decision.”

Rev Tal looked back at Ticker and dipped their head in thanks before jumping down to the lower level to talk with the other members of Solaris United.

 

\---

 

Nef Anyo's face filled the screens of Fortuna.  The rig jockeys down below paused, many leaning on their tools as they looked up to listen.  Rev Tal was sitting up high,their legs dangling off the balcony while they rested their chin on their hands and squinted down at the nearest screen.  The image was stretched and distorted, a pixelated rainbow adding color to Nef Anyo's pale face. His voice, though… that reached Rev Tal's ears without issue.

“Well done, Fortuna!”  He declared - artificially amplified, still unpleasant.  The Tenno was dimly reminded of low-rank Orokin simpering for their approval during the Old War.  Nef had the same falsely sweet quality to his speech as they did, and it set Rev Tal’s teeth on edge.  But they forced themself to listen. After last time… they resolved to pay attention. To be sure that they wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened.

“Fortuna!  You have raised production.”  Nef continued, with a smattering of clapping following his words.  “The Void will bless you for your work… But I have to bring up a somber topic.  There was an… altercation recently.”

The Tenno's hands balled into fists, a flicker of Void energy dancing along their arms.  Behind them, their Harrow twitched - the Warframe’s systems briefly responding to Rev Tal's energy.  No. They had to listen - to confirm that Zuud and those that stood with her were safe.

“I understand that my Eximus ignored a Solaris’ request not to touch them.  No action will be taken against this Solaris for that - my Eximus was in the wrong and the Solaris was only defending themself.”  Rev Tal breathed a sigh of relief before gritting their teeth again. Something worse was coming - they could feel it. “It has also come to my attention that there are blasphemers hiding in Fortuna.  That there are those who doubt my connection to the Void. If anyone has any information regarding those who have been spreading these rumors… Please provide it to the AnyoCorp information kiosks. You will be rewarded.  Let it also be known that if anyone is seen socializing with known blasphemers, actions will be taken against them.”

This wasn’t good.  Rev Tal returned to their Harrow, dropping down to the level below the balcony they had been sitting on, then the one below that, then finally touching down in the pool of coolant that bubbled up in the center of Fortuna.  They stopped, still crouched in the coolant. If Nef Anyo said ‘reward’ that meant ‘money’. Countless Solaris were so desperate to pay their debts that they were willing to do just about anything if there were credits involved.  Rev Tal didn’t blame them - if they were in that situation, they likely would’ve done the same. No, the Tenno’s concern was for Solaris United. Everyone on the roster frequently spoke with Rev Tal, and the Tenno could feel the eyes of the other Solaris on their skin.  Anxiety gripped their chest and Rev Tal gasped for air as they pushed themself to their feet, operating on seeming autopilot as their Harrow took a few steps towards Biz. 

_No.  No, you can’t._  A voice in the back of their head whispered to them.   _Neither of you can risk it.  You can’t be seen talking with any of them - especially Eudico._

The voice was right, but panic and paranoia was rising up in the Tenno’s chest and Transference’s blanket over their senses quickly became smothering.  They crossed their arms over their chest and tried to hold on - to stop the welling panic and sensation. A hand on their shoulder grounded Rev Tal, and they looked to their side to see Ticker carefully guiding them away from the noise and lights and people staring at them.

“You can’t.”  Rev Tal forced out, shaking their head.  “Not safe.”

“Stardust, I’m already a known blasphemer.”  She said, shaking her head. “Don’t force yourself to talk, okay?  Do you need the quiet rooms?”

Mutely, Rev Tal nodded, letting Ticker guide them into one of the more quiet areas in Fortuna.  A bright flash of Void energy followed the Tenno as they left Transference and curled up on one of the bunks, body twitching occasionally.  Rev Tal rarely went into “true” meltdowns with screaming and crying and lashing out. It was far more common for them to shut down and stop talking.  Ticker sat with them as they slowly calmed down - offering a Pobber floof to the Tenno for them to hold. The floof’s texture helped to further ground the Tenno, and Rev Tal eventually sat up.

“What should I do?”  They asked, voice hoarse as they played with the floof’s ears.  “Staying will put SU at risk. Can’t- Can’t stay. Not safe.”

“Well, I’m not the best at giving advice, but…”  Ticker looked over at Rev Tal’s Warframe. Her face was still hidden in her rig, but her thoughtful expression was clear enough in how she held herself.  The Harrow was standing eerily still as Ticker got up to walk around and examine it. “Now, you have to promise me you’ll run this by Vox Solaris first. But you _could_ …  Lean into the whole blasphemy thing.”

Shocked, Rev Tal looked up at Ticker.  Most of the Solaris only ever gave them advice that boiled down to ‘keep your head down and don’t start trouble’.  This was… the opposite of that. She had also said ‘Vox Solaris’ and Rev Tal couldn’t tell if Ticker was protecting Little Duck, Biz, and Eudico… or if she really didn’t know that Vox was the culmination of those three’s work.  Either way, Rev Tal wasn’t going to press.

“It’s not safe to-”  The Tenno began to protest, but was cut off when Ticker scoffed.

“Stardust, none of this is safe.  Nobody in Fortuna is safe. Life isn’t safe.”  She said, poking her head out from behind the Harrow.  She was adjusting the syandana that was draped across its shoulders, making sure that it was hanging evenly.  “That’s why I do what I do and live the way I live. I take the risks I can to make my life and the lives of others better.  You, Stardust? You can take risks nobody here could ever dream of taking.”

Ticker sighed quietly and came over to sit next to Rev Tal, putting a gentle hand on their back.  The Tenno was staring down at the floof in their hands, rubbing small circles on its ears - feeling every stitch and change in fabric.

“Nothing is ever safe.”  Ticker repeated. “If we waited until it was safe to do anything, nothing would ever be done.  And that is something that is incredibly hard to learn, especially when you’re scared. Listen, Stardust.  Rev. It’s okay to be scared, but don’t let it stop you from doing anything.”

“Eudico said not to paint a target on myself.”  Rev Tal said quietly, and Ticker pulled them into a gentle hug.  “I just… I don’t know what to do. I- I feel like I have to do everything I can to protect you guys.  Fortuna, the Orb Vallis, Venus… It feels so much more like _home_ than anything else I’ve seen since waking up from the Dream.  I don’t know what the right decision is… Stay safe, or put myself in the line of fire so none of you end up there.”

“Guts.”  Ticker swore, shaking her head and sitting back.  “Stardust, if you’re struggling with what your head is telling you to do… Try thinking with something else.  Go with your core. Do what feels right. You’re too young to be worrying like this.”

“I’m older than you.”

“Stasis and the Dream don’t count, Stardust.”

Ticker almost fell over when Rev Tal disappeared in a flash of light.  She had begun to teasingly lean on the Tenno, and wasn’t expecting them to abruptly re-enter Transference.  They offered a hand out to help her stand up, head cocked ever so slightly to one side. A quiet hum left the Tenno before they spoke, absently rubbing their free hand’s fingers together.

“Do you know when Nef’s going to be broadcasting his next live sermon?  I have an idea that I think Vox will help me with.”

 

\---

 

The Corpus broadcasting station was in disarray, scrambling to regain control over the signal.  Oh, they had lost control in the past. They had gotten interruptions. But not like this. _Never_ like this.  Vox Solaris had hijacked broadcasts in the past, but _never_ during one of Nef Anyo’s sermons.  Tenno had taken control of the towers countless times, but _never_ during any broadcast that wasn’t crucial data.  This was new. This hadn’t happened before. At least they now had solid confirmation that Solaris United and the Tenno were allied.  Gaining control back from their combined efforts? That was considerably easier said than done.

Especially when the disrupted signal cut not to Vox Solaris, but a Warframe.  The screen displayed the Harrow with minimal static and distortion - the black room they were sitting in impossible to identify.  The image was still save for static long enough that the broadcast station started to get over their shock.

Then the Harrow started to speak.

“He accuses me of blasphemy.”  Their voice was that same harsh and distorted whisper that had been heard in Fortuna after the altercation with Zuud.  “Which of us has seen the Void? Really _seen_ it?  Which of us has lived in it?  Which of us knows its secrets?  Which. Of. Us. In. Deed.”

The Harrow paused, letting the question hang in the air for a few moments before continuing.

“Nef Anyo is a charlatan.  What does he do with your donations?  They don’t go to the Void. The Void has no use for your credits.  He is capitalizing on your beliefs. He funnels your credits into his own private funds.  He has enough liquid assets to provide homes, food, medical attention, and shelter for all those displaced by the Corpus-Grineer War.  He has enough credits to put an _end_ to the conflict.  He has enough to forgive every single Solaris debt.  So why doesn’t he? Why does he continue to ask for your donations?”

“Because he is _profiting_ off of you.”  They spat, leaning closer to the screen.  “He is _profiting_ off of your fear.  Your loss. Your pain and sickness.  To him, you are nothing but a resource to be used.  He does not speak the word of the Void. He seeks only Profit, and he has the sheer _audacity_ to call _me_ the blasphemer.   _I_ , who know the Void like no other can.   _I_ , who can truly call upon its power.”

The Harrow’s hand raised into view, energy crackling along the fingers and casting the Warframe’s features into sharp relief.  “He dares calls _me_ the blasphemer.”

The transmission went dead.  Aftershocks began shortly afterward.  AnyoCorp’s stock dropped enough to be noticeable.  Though significant profit was still made, it was a blip in the trend.  An unexpected downturn in a graph that was otherwise pointing exponentially upwards.

And, for the first time since the Corpus-Grineer War began, donations began to slow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit 6/4 fuckin fixed a fuckin typo I didnt fuckin catch at fuckin first


	4. Reposession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions have consequences. Nef's scrambling results in retaliation against the Solaris. Rev Tal and Solaris United respond in kind.
> 
> PLEASE BE AWARE: this chapter is so far the first part as to why this fic has been tagged with "graphic descriptions of violence" since the beginning, as I have been planning this chapter for a while. TW for this chapter includes head, neck, chest, and hand trauma, as well as blood and broken bones.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and let me know if additional warnings for this chapter should be added.

Rev Tal tried not to look too smug as they studied the numbers displayed on their datapad.  Neither Eudico nor Biz had been happy about the stunt they pulled with their Harrow - especially because they had gone over both of their heads and proposed it to Little Duck without talking to them first.  Little Duck had backed them up when the other two confronted them, saying that challenging Nef like that was worth the risk. So far, it looked like it had been - Nef was scrambling to recover face. He had yet to broadcast a response, and the longer it took, the less people seemed willing to Give Unto the Void.

It was hard not to be smug when you finally found a way to hit someone where it hurt.  Fear of retaliation had been paralyzing Solaris United’s efforts for quite some time, but now the rig jockeys who hadn’t been a part of it were slowly gaining interest.  Eudico was a firm mix of impressed and exasperated - yes, this was the highest enrollment in SU had been since Deck 12, but she had specifically told Rev Tal not to make the target on their back any bigger.  Though Eudico was quickly learning what the Lotus and the Orokin before her had learned: Rev Tal was not a Tenno that was easily controlled.

Finding a place for their Harrow to wait for them was easy enough.  Fortuna was filled with hiding places away from the prying eyes of Corpus surveillance equipment, but… This time Rev Tal was doing something a little different.  They left Transference and looked back at their Harrow, smiling to themself as the took in the scene. Their Harrow was sitting on a small pedestal, hands folded in its lap and head bowed slightly.

“I’ll be back soon, I just want to talk with Biz and I can’t take you with me.”  They said to it, pausing briefly and looking back at it. “You understand, right?”

The Harrow remained silent, and Rev Tal slid down one of the support pillars, slipping into the vent networks.  Only the Ventkids - current and former - knew the way around the vents better than Rev Tal. If you were small and flexible enough to fit through the smallest of them, the vents were by far the most efficient way of getting around Fortuna.  The Tenno only had to crawl through the smallest, and knew from experience that none of their Warframes could get through those. Biz didn’t react when Rev Tal kicked the vent open and jumped out of it, except to pick up a screwdriver and hold it out to them.

“You know the rules, Rev.”  He said, not looking up from what he was doing.  Rev Tal huffed before taking the screwdriver and fixing the vent.  Once that was done, Biz seemed a lot more open to talking with them.  “Still proud of yourself?”

“Yeah.”  Rev Tal said, sitting on the table and grinning at Biz.  “You still mad?”

“Not as mad as I was.”  He admitted, sighing quietly.  “I worry that you’re going to get in over your head, but every time I get scared for you, you prove yourself more than capable.”

He ruffled their hair, and Rev Tal’s expression turned worried when they saw that his arms were bandaged.

“What happened, Biz?”  They asked, catching his arm and pulling him a little closer, worriedly looking over the bandages.

“Feisty Bolarola.”  He explained, reclaiming his arm and gingerly returning to cutting fabric for a floof.  “I’ll be okay. I’ve had worse. The poor thing was just very scared - the tranquilizer wore off while I was taking care of an injury.”

Biz really was almost constantly covered in all manner of bites and scratches from working with the Valis animals.  At this point he rarely even reacted when a pobber bit him beyond a quiet grunt and patching the wound up. It was highly plausible that Biz was telling the truth, but Rev Tal found themself suspicious, narrowing their eyes at him.  This… wasn’t how Biz usually held himself when he was injured from an animal. The Tenno reached over and carefully tugged on the bandage, trying to look under it.

“Rev!”  Biz protested, pulling away and holding the bandage.  “You can’t just--”

“Are those Prova burns?”  The Tenno’s aghast exclamation cut Biz off as they slipped off the table to look at his arms closer.  Electrical weapons were dangerous enough, but the Solaris had heavy augmentation. If any of their metal parts conducted electricity, they could get seriously injured.  Biz gave a long-suffering sigh and let Rev Tal continue to examine him for injury. “Biz, what happened?”

“Repo squad came to take someone.”  Biz replied, voice a confidential whisper that was easily hidden from prying ears by the sounds of Fortuna.  “I intervened. It’s not what Eudi wants us to do… but I can’t stand by and let that happen. Not again. Not after Legs.”

He winced slightly as Rev Tal examined his bruised and bloody knuckles, concerned etched into their face when they saw the extent of his injuries.  It looked like he had fought the Corpus off bare-handed and used his own body to shield whoever he had been protecting from Prova strikes. Small burns marred the skin nearest to his cybernetics, and Rev Tal carefully hugged him, resting their head against his rig.

“Be more careful next time.”  Rev Tal insisted as Biz opened his rig to look at them closer, taking one of their hands in his less injured one.  “I can’t lose you, Biz. I… You know I don’t have a real family. I can’t lose you.”

“You have a real family.”  Biz’ voice was gentle as he corrected the scared Tenno.  “Your family is the Solaris. The Meridian. I know it’s hard not to have… blood relatives.  Parents or siblings to look out for you. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a real family.”

He gently let go of Rev Tal and returned to what he was doing while still keeping an eye on the Tenno.  Those raw moments were growing more frequent - at this point he wouldn’t have known that this was the same Tenno that he had met shortly after he first sent out a call for help to the Tenno.  It made him worry about Rev Tal almost as much as the Tenno seemed to worry about him. But at the same time, Biz was glad that Rev Tal would open up to him like that. A deep turmoil was clearly trapped deep within them, and it was in moments like this that some of that turmoil was brought to the surface and released.  He knew a thing or two about trauma and the processing - or lack thereof - of it. These outbursts, these moments of pure emotion… Rev Tal had gone through something terrible, that much Biz could tell. There had been a long time where they hadn’t been safe, and hadn’t been able to process what happened to them.

Outbursts like that were a sign that Rev Tal was starting to feel safe, and the safety was leading to them finally realize what had happened.  Biz reached over and ruffled their hair again, unsure of how else to show his support for the Tenno. Little Duck was right, he reflected, he had gone soft.  They looked up at Biz and offered him a small smile, shoulders slowly relaxing and leaning back against the wall. For a while, there was a peaceful air over Fortuna as Biz continued to sew the floof he was working on and Rev Tal sat back on the table in silence, simply enjoying Biz’ presence.  An alarm blared briefly, and Rev Tal glanced up from watching Biz sew. The elevator rattled as it slowly descended from the Venusian surface, and they looked to Biz.

“Did you, Eudi, or L.D. have any Tenno out on the Vallis?”  They asked, noting that Biz had stiffened slightly and was holding the shears he was using to cut the fabric more like a weapon than a tool.

“Not that I know of.”  He replied, keeping his voice low.  “Outworlder, you might need to hide.”

“Hide?  Why would I need to--”

Rev Tal’s question was answered for them.  The elevator doors opened with a clang and hiss and a squad of Corpus personnel wearing uniforms the Tenno had never seen before entered Fortuna - bringing with them a swirl of snow and ice.  A chill followed them, but it was not from the artificially cooled atmosphere. Fear bristled through the Solaris, some pausing their work to try and shield those close to them from view, while others seemed to focus in on what they were doing, as if increased work would make the threat go away.  Eudico had stood up from her post and was following them, gesturing as she spoke. Rev Tal couldn’t hear what she was saying, but her wild gestures clearly were that of someone who was pissed to hell and back. They had never seen Eudico like this, positively _seething_ as she tried to put herself in between the approaching squad and their destination.  One of the crewmen stopped and pushed her down, and Rev Tal bristled before Biz put a hand on their shoulder and shook his head.

“Outworlder.”  He cautioned, voice barely above a whisper.  “Hide. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t. If it gets bad…  Trust your judgement.”

Rev Tal wanted to ask him what was going on, but some part of them already knew.  They had only felt fear like this in Fortuna’s atmosphere once before. It was after Legs had been…  Rev Tal’s eyes widened and the Tenno once again called upon the Void to hide. The squad was heading to Biz’ little alcove where he dismantled servofish and made floofs, and as they passed out from under the blue and purple light and into Biz’ white worklight it became obvious their uniforms were not black, but a deep crimson.  The texture was also unfamiliar - it shone in the light and looked like any liquids splashed on it would simply roll off. Only their gloves and helmets were actually black. The squad stopped behind Biz, two flanking him with Provas drawn. A third, probably the leader, stepped forward and spoke.

“Are you BZ-615?”

Biz, to his credit, ignored him, turning the floof he had been sewing together right side out and starting to stuff it.  He continued to ignore him when he cleared his throat, squeezing the floof to judge if it was firm enough. Satisfied, he finished sewing it up, set it aside, and finally turned to face the squad.

“I am.”  His voice was the same as almost ever - even, calm, quiet.  Only Rev Tal could see that the shears he had been using were now clenched in his fist behind his back, blades closed but pointed downward and exposed - ready to be used as a weapon if needed.  The other Solaris would know that Biz’ calm exterior was now not much more than a facade ready to crack and crumble the moment someone posed a threat to him, or anyone else. The Corpus squad though… They would not know until Biz lashed out.  “What do you want? My debts are paid in full, I have made sure of that.”

“BZ-615, you are wanted for questioning under suspicion of connections to Vox Solaris and Solaris United.”  The Corpus squad leader said, taking out some sort of weapon Rev Tal didn’t recognize. “In addition, we have received reports that you have been assisting others with their debts.  Per policy, this means you’ve assumed responsibility for them, and you are now… significantly behind on your debt payments. Your sentence is a full-body repo after questioning.”

“What policy is that?”  Biz asked, his grip on the shears shifting slightly.  Tension was building along his body and his robotic head tilted up and down slightly, as if he was giving the Corpus a once-over.

“The new one.  Nef Anyo declared it about… 15?  16 hours ago.” The Corpus’ smug aura radiated out as he leaned forward, unsuccessfully attempting to menace Biz, who looked sort of bored.  “If a Solaris pays part of another’s debt, clearly they’re taking responsibility of the other, making them a dependant. And as we know… Dependants can’t hold debt.  So, the debt is taken on by whoever helped out. Simple enough for everyone to understand.”

“Yes.”  Biz said quietly.  “Simple.”

“So!  Come with us and we’ll-”

The Corpus stopped, staring down at the shears that had abruptly been embedded in his chest.  Blood began to bubble up around the blades as Biz slowly worked them back and forth, one of his hands on the Corpus’ chest as he tried to get the blades out.  There was a wet sucking sound when Biz wrenched them free, pausing to study the blades as the Corpus collapsed at his feet and a crimson puddle slowly began to spread.

“Damn it.  I liked those shears.”  Biz grumbled before clearing his throat and addressing the remaining Corpus.  “You have misunderstood me. Yes, I am BZ-615. I am also The Business. I have no intention of going with you, nor do I want to cause any more death.  If you leave now and take him -” Biz nudged the slowly bleeding out Corpus with his foot. “- with you, there’s still a chance he may _live_.”

The powering on of Prova and the charging of guns was the answer Biz got.  The Solaris sighed, trying to open the shears and seemingly not paying attention to the Corpus surrounding him.  When one started to dart forward to hit Biz with their Prova, he simply caught their wrist and began to squeeze and twist until bone and tendon began to snap.  The other Repo Prodman seemed too scared to raise his weapon against Biz. After apparently deciding that the shears were too far gone to save, Biz used them to pop off the helmet of the Repo squad member he had crushed the hand of before plunging the blades into their jugular and leaving them there.  He paused, looking at the dark arterial blood on his hands with a quiet ‘urgh’ before turning to face the remaining squad member.

“Nef really only sent three of you?”  He asked, incredulous.

“No.”

He stopped, turning his head towards the sound before a shot rang out and The Business collapsed, a hole torn through his rig’s robotic head - smoke and sparks pouring free.

The sniper lowered his gun, nodding towards the remaining squad member.  “Take him. Report our losses.”

“Yes s--”  He stopped, stumbling back a few steps and looking back at the table where Biz had been working.  For a moment, he could’ve sworn he felt something pass through him. A strangled squawk came from where the sniper was perched, a flash of hot pink illuminating Fortuna.  The Repo squad member ran out of the alcove, boots splashing in the coolant as he frantically looked around for the sniper.

He found him, dangling off of the balcony where he had been hiding.  The Solaris around him were gawking at the spectacle as much as he was.  The barbed wire - no, _chains_ , had cut deep into the sniper’s neck, his uniform obscuring the flowing blood except for where it dripped down the edge of his boots and onto the ground, creating a dark stain underneath him.  A hand found the remaining squad member's throat from behind, squeezing just enough to cause pain and difficulty breathing, but not enough to actually strangle him.

“This… Is what happens when you try to hurt them.”  The voice in his ear was all too familiar. The quiet rasp that somehow commanded attention and was audible to everyone even in the noisiest room.  A voice that was somehow both felt and heard. “This is what I will do to your false prophet if he continues to torture and enslave the Solaris people.  But, my hand will be stayed for the time being if you bring my message to him: halt repossessions and get rid of this idiotic new policy. Let the deaths that have defiled this city today have some form of meaning and end the need for this… senseless violence.”

The Harrow’s hand released his neck, and the Corpus almost slipped in the coolant as he scrambled to get away.  He didn’t look back until he was safely in the elevator with the doors closing. With shaking hands, he pulled out a radio and turned it on.

“S-sir?  I-- I know you said not to call without good news but…  We have a problem.”

 

\---

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Biz will be fine don't Worry too much Im not gonna like.
> 
> kill one of my favorite characters. im not Evil
> 
> edit 6/10: Fixed minor grammar mistake I found while re-reading


	5. Vox Tenno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rev Tal, the Solaris, and Neffy himself deal with the aftermath of the failed repossession. Rev Tal makes another broadcast.

Even after having felt the Tenno’s hand against his neck and having seen what they were capable of doing, the lone survivor of the Repo squad had never fully understood the phrase ‘quaking in their boots’ until now.  But there he was, giving his report  _ directly _ to Nef Anyo, who was glaring out of the ship’s window down at Neptune from behind his desk.  When he reached the part about the Tenno’s message, he flinched backwards when Nef swore loudly in response.  The high-ranking Corpus turned and lashed out - shoving an incredibly expensive looking glass sculpture off of its pedestal.  He didn’t seem to care when it shattered, sitting at his desk and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Do you.  At the very least.”  Nef started, letting his hand drop as he grit his teeth.  “Have any good news for me? Any at all? Any… insight into who Vox Solaris is?  How to stop this Tenno? Anything at all?”

“N- no, sir…”  He said, looking down at the AnyoCorp insignia on the floor.  “If I may make a suggestion, though? You have access to… quite a bit of Warframe research now.  You could maybe ask him if--”

“ _ Thank _ you for your suggestion.”  Nef Anyo interrupted, glaring at the crewman.  “I will… consider it. You are dismissed.”

If it hadn’t been obvious before, it was now that the Repo squadman had severely overstepped his boundaries.  He effectively bowed to Nef as he stumbled out into the hallway, before pausing and turning around to poke his head back into the office.

“Sorry, sir, did you say something?”

Nef glanced up, face illuminated by his console.  He paused in what he was typing and leaned forward, steepling his fingers in front of his face.

“I was talking to myself about how there were no survivors of the last Repo squad AnyoCorp sent to Fortuna.  You know I tend to do that while I’m working.” Nef replied. The squad man’s eyebrows furrowed in brief confusion before his expression was replaced by one of fear and realization.  Nef simply twitched his finger and a shot rang out. Even with a silencer screwed into the barrel of the gun, the sound was enough to make the AnyoCorp owner flinch and press his hands to his temples.  The Repo squad man collapsed, and Nef frowned at the corpse.

“Clean up that mess.”  He ordered, lip curling in distaste at both the blood on his pristine floors .  “And… Call  _ him _ .  As… distasteful as his methods are… he may prove useful in this sort of - ugh - situation.”

 

\---

 

Eudico had her arms folded over her rig as she studied Rev Tal.  It was strange how small the Tenno looked like this, outside of their Warframe and curled up in one of the chairs on the upper balconies of Fortuna.  With a quiet sigh, Eudico went and sat next to the Tenno, gently laying a hand on them.

“Biz is going to be okay.”  She assured them. “He’s… been through worse.  Ticker is helping fix him up right now. He’ll be okay.  It could’ve been a lot--”

“Is it my fault?”  Rev Tal had interrupted Eudico, looking up at her with slightly bloodshot eyes.  They had been crying. “Biz. All of the repossessions. Is it… My fault? Did I do this?”

“Sparky, no.”  Eudico was aghast as her shoulders slumped.  “No, this isn’t your fault. Nef’s been… It’s been like this for a long time.  Honestly, I’m… surprised it took him this long to start targeting people actually… in Solaris U.”

“Do you think he knows about you?”  The Tenno asked, wiping their cheek off.

“I think he… suspects.”  Eudico paused, tapping her fingers against the table.  “If he knew… I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Rev Tal narrowed their eyes at Eudico.  The Solaris United leader seemed distant, the hand not resting on Rev Tal’s arm gripping her pant leg on the side where the fabric was tied tight around the cobbled together ‘prosthetic’ that replaced her organic one.  Slowly, the Tenno turned to face Eudico, folding their hands in their lap.

“... What did he offer you, Eudi?”  Their voice is quiet, gentle almost.  Eudico jolted, bristling and making a noise like she was about to speak when Rev Tal lifted their hand to stop her.  “I’m not accusing you of taking a deal. You get antsy like that when there’s an offer on the table that you don’t like but don’t see a way out of.”

Eudico looked to the side as she took a deep breath in.  Her gaze was directed vaguely in the direction of where Zuud made her kitguns and sold them to whoever promised to void Taxman warranties with them.  Even with her rig closed, Rev Tal could see the pained expression on her face.

“Nef Anyo says he’ll stop the repossessions if I hand you over.”  She admitted, worrying at a loose thread on her pants. “He’s a right bastard.  Asking for a hostage exchange like that. My people… Or you. I-- It’s not a decision I want to make, but I’m running out of time to take the offer, and I--”

“Take it.”  Rev Tal interrupted.  “Eudi, we could stop Nef in his tracks!  Opportunities like this don’t come around very often, we should take it.  You should take it!”

“And lose you?”  Eudico snapped, abruptly standing up.  She didn’t quite yell, but there was a forcefulness to her voice that startled the Tenno.  Eudico shook her head slowly. “I can’t, Sparky. Not when I get people asking me when  _ Vox Tenno _ is going to make another broadcast.  Not when I see them look at you with awe and hope in their eyes when you walk among them in your Harrow.  Losing you would be more than just… losing you. The Solaris can’t lose the symbol you’ve become, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing I delivered you directly into his grasp.”

Stunned, Rev Tal shrank back from Eudico - curling in on themself.  There was a tense silence between the two - like a tightly coiled spring threatening to snap if it was touched, even if the touch was to try and uncoil it.  Eudico started to try and apologize for her outburst when Rev Tal raised their head to look up at the upper decks and ceiling of Fortuna.

“They want me to broadcast again?”  Then, after another beat of silence where Rev Tal looked back over at Eudico, eyes wide.  “... They’re calling me Vox Tenno?”

"Your stunt caused… quite the stir.  Challenging Nef like that? Nobody's done that before.  Nobody who clearly knows what the Void is like."

"But I'm not the voice of the Tenno."  Rev Tal insisted. "I-- Vox Void would be better for what I was doing."

Eudico reached over and placed her hand on Rev Tal's shoulder, taking a breath in.  "L.D. and I may have… encouraged that nickname. You have to admit, it does sound better than Vox Void does."

Rev Tal gave Eudico a shaky smile before they squared their shoulders and looked back up at Fortuna’s ceiling.  “... When do you want me to broadcast?”

 

\---

 

Nef Anyo had yet to broadcast another sermon, but when the screens across Corpus holdings flickered to life at least some were expecting the Prophet of Profit to finally decry the Tenno interloper as a charlatan.  When the harsh whisper sounded from the screen instead of the Corpus’ slightly condescending tone, many eyes flicked up to the still-black screens. The Harrow’s silhouette was barely visible, highlighted primarily by the glowing portions on their body.

“It has come to my attention that Nef Anyo has not made a public declaration.”  They tilted their head, the decorations hanging down swaying with the motion. “He hasn’t made… Any declarations.  His lack of retaliation tells me that I may have struck a nerve. I intended to wait to speak to you all again until he had spoken.  That does not seem like it is going to happen any time soon, so here I am.”

They steepled their fingers in front of their face, slowly pressing their palms together as if in prayer.  “I want… You to know I have heard your questions. I can only answer so many of them. So I shall do my best.”

“In my previous broadcast I… claimed knowledge of the Void that Nef Anyo does not have.  This was the truth. There are those who think I know everything about it. That, I am afraid, is an exaggeration.  I do not know everything about the Void, as that is impossible. I am not an omniscient entity, nor am I omnipotent.  I do what I am capable of, as we all do. I speak for none but myself, and I do so freely. I cannot promise that what I say today is completely true, but I can promise I am not intentionally misleading you.”  Their hands lowered, reaching off-camera and finding a light switch that bathed the dark room in a soft light - illuminating the Harrow as their hands returned to their previous positions. “And that being said, let us begin.”

“You ask me the nature of the Void.  I shall do my best to answer. It is… a space outside of our natural world.  Time flows differently there, and the very air hums with an energy that I cannot ever hope to do justice toward with my words.  But… let me try. It hums in your bones, your teeth. You can hear it no matter what you do to drown it out because the longer you stay there the more it soaks into your body and stays there.  It gets in your blood and every beat of your heart pushes it further through you. It will change you. If you cannot keep up with it you will lose yourself to it. So you have to fight it, let it flow through and over you, or you can embrace it.  I embraced it."

"But what, you may ask, is it?  What is this energy? What is this… mutative force that can either shatter you into dust or change you into something no longer quite human?  That's not something I can answer. But I can share what I think it is: a culmination of energy produced by every living thing in the System."  They paused, letting that concept hang in the air for a few moments before continuing. “Which… leads into another question I have heard. You ask me not if you should stop Giving Unto The Void, but where to do it.  I can only make a suggestion to that. The Void itself, massive, powerful, and unknowable, has no need for your credits… But if I am right and the Void is the culmination of our thoughts, our fears, our love, hate, joy, sorrow.  If the Void’s power comes from all of us, then to Give Unto Each Other is to Give Unto The Void.”

“The Order of Profit claims that charity is mortal sin, but for what reason?  I can only speculate, but it seems as if Anyo uses the Void and the worship of it as a means to an end.  He uses it as a tool to control his followers.” They sighed, lowering their hands to their lap and bowing their head.  “Again: I speculate. I assume. But I will know… soon enough. I will be putting myself in harm’s way for the Solaris people, as they have for me.  Nef Anyo offered a bargain: I go to him, and he halts debt collections. It is the least I can do for them, after they have placed so much on the line for me.  So Give Unto Each Other, for the Void returns unto us what we give unto it.”

The Tenno raised their hands to the screen, as if they were offering themself to whoever was watching.  “Until I return, please. Be kind to one another. Know that though I am one of the few who can claim to have walked the Void, lived in it, and survived - not unchanged, not unharmed, just survived - you all have a connection to it.  As for myself? Do not worry about me. Nef Anyo is unlikely to cause any great harm to his… trophy.”

Muffled shouts, indistinct but clearly upset could be heard as the Harrow stopped talking, head turning quickly to the side.  Light streamed into the dark production room, and the transmission went dead a moment later. Corpus, Solaris, and neutral factions alike gawked at the dead air on the displays.  Rumors began to circulate. The leading theory was that Nef had sent someone to get Vox Tenno, to stop them from finishing their broadcast. Detractors said that it was possible the mystery interrupter was a Solaris, come to beg them not to sacrifice themself on behalf of their people.

Ultimately, nobody outside Fortuna would ever truly know what happened at the end of that broadcast.

 

\---

 


	6. Hostage Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rev Tal gives themself up to the Corpus. Eudico keeps up her charade.
> 
> Then things go south.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *posts at 12:08 AM* lol

“Why?”

That was the first thing Eudico said when Rev Tal slowly emerged from the dark broadcast room.  The room looked like there had been a scuffle, and Little Duck was sitting against the wall - nursing a dent in her rig that looked like it matched the wrench that Eudico was holding loosely in her hand.  Rev Tal looked between the two of them and shook their head.

“ _ Why? _ ”  Eudico repeated, letting the wrench fall to the ground with a clang.  “That’s not-- We didn’t agree on that! Why would you-- We have no guarantee Nef will keep his word!  Now he’ll know I told you about that and--”

“He’ll keep his word.”  Rev Tal interrupted, tilting their head to one side.  “It would be bad for his image if he didn’t. We both know that Nef’s main focuses are keeping his Investors happy and keeping his image good.  If he goes back on his promise here…”

“Who says he won’t on other things.”  Little Duck finished, not bothering to stand up.  “The kid and I talked about it. We left you out because we figured you’d try to stop us.”

“Oh, you think?”  Eudico’s voice was slightly shrill, and she put her hands on Rev Tal’s shoulders before continuing.  “... You have to promise me something, Sparky. Promise you won’t get yourself killed out there. Or- Or whatever the equivalent for brain-shelving for Tenno is.  Just… Promise me you’ll keep yourself  _ safe _ .”

“You know I can’t promise that.”

“I know… but let me hear you say it.”

Rev Tal pulled Eudico close to themself, head bowed.  In their Harrow, they were at least a head and a half - maybe even a full two heads - taller than her, and yet Rev Tal still seemed smaller.  Their stomach twisted as they tried to speak, shaking their head as they slowly pushed Eudico away. A deep ache settled in their chest as they slowly knelt in front of Eudico - the frame known as the Dark Priest taking the position of the supplicant.

“I can’t.”  The Tenno’s voice was soft - apologetic almost.  “I- I can’t lie to you like that. It’s not gonna be safe… and you know I can’t promise you I won’t take any unnecessary risks.  I-- I can’t.”

“I know.”

 

\---

 

Rev Tal felt as if they were a passenger in their own Warframe, moving with a trancelike grace as the gathered Solaris parted in front of them.  They stopped on top of the outcropping where coolant bubbled up from under Venus’ surface, facing the door with their hands clasped behind their back.  Slowly, they turned to face the Solaris, pausing when the side of their body was facing the crowd.

“Waiting for me out there… is whatever squad Nef Anyo has sent to collect me.”  They didn’t make an effort to disguise their voice. Most Solaris had heard them speak, had seen them run from place to place with their own body, knew who and what they were.  “I wish… There was another way for me to thank you, all of you, for everything you’ve done for me. I, uh…”

Rev Tal paused to fidget with some of the fabric on their Warframe’s body, looking down at their hands and away from the crowd.  When they spoke next, their voice was still clear. “When I get back… I expect a welcome back party. Cuz - mmmm - I… am coming back.  After… After I make Nef Anyo regret ever even thinking about doing repossessions here. And, uh… I’m gonna make his life a living hell as much as I can without breaking the agreement.  So. We’ll see how that goes.”

“Sparky.”  Eudico said, gently laying a hand on Rev Tal’s arm.  “It’s time.”

Time always dilated in the elevator ride out of Fortuna and into the Orb Vallis.  Technically it only ever took a few minutes, but those minutes seemed so much longer when you were dreading what was waiting for you on the surface.  Eudico was standing by Rev Tal’s side, arms crossed. She didn’t speak as the machinery rattled its way to the Venusian surface. The Tenno was studying one of the displays - trying to decipher what it said.  They were familiar enough with the Grineer and Corpus alphabets to almost read them, but the Solaris’ letterings still escaped them.

“I spoke to Anyo.”  Eudico didn’t look at Rev Tal as she spoke.  “Told him I didn’t know how you found out about the offer, blamed it on spies.  Not sure if he believed me. Things could go south for both of us when this thing stops moving.”

Eudico finally glanced over at the Tenno.  They were standing more or less at attention, swaying back and forth slightly by rocking onto the balls of their feet and back again.  An eerie calm had taken over them, and as Eudico quietly watched them she realized that though more of a hassle to deal with, she greatly preferred the Rev Tal that was bursting at the seams with manic energy instead of this more subdued version.  The longer Eudico watched, the more she realized where the energy had gone. There was a side to Rev Tal that Eudico had logically always known existed, but had never seen in-person. Though they seemed calm, Rev Tal was tense - one hand balled into a fist and their other gripping their wrist.  Both hands were so tight in their grips that when the machinery briefly quieted down, Eudico could’ve sworn that she heard the Warframe’s armor creak. Rev Tal was a coiled spring the likes of which she hadn’t seen since Deck 12. It was astounding that their hands weren’t shaking as they gestured to the door as the elevator shuddered to a stop and slowly opened.

Corpus laser sights danced across Eudico’s chest before focusing in on the Tenno standing behind her.  The snow crunched under her feet as Eudico walked out of the elevator, crossing her arms over her rig and jerking her head towards Rev Tal.

“Come take the mucker.”  She all but spat. It was always slightly jarring to hear her shift into the persona she put on for dealing with Nef as herself instead of Vox Solaris.  Rev Tal tried not to let it bother them, merely dipping their head and slowly beginning to walk forward. A chorus of arming weapons sounded, and the Tenno slowly put their hands up.

“Your weapons are not necessary.”  Rev Tal rasped. “I have no intent to do anything but come quietly, so long as the Solaris are not harmed.”

“Even her?”  One of the Corpus asked, gesturing with his weapon to Eudico.  “Word has it that she was about to sell you out. Care to share how you found out about the deal?”

The gun remained pointed at Eudico, and Rev Tal’s spine stiffened slightly.

“Did  _ she  _ tell you?”

Rev Tal put themself in front of Eudico, taking two quick steps and pivoting to face the Corpus.  Void energy began to crackle along their form as they loomed over him, taking a step forward in order to force him backward.  Eudico could’ve sworn she heard a deep rumble starting from somewhere, and the air around the Tenno seemed charged with static electricity.

“ **If I were you, I would think long and hard about threatening a Solaris.** ”  The only way to describe Rev Tal’s speech was that they were rumbling - speaking from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  “ **If our agreement is in effect, then if you make good on your threat, you will be the one personally responsible for ruining things and bringing my wrath down on your employer.  Are you sure you want that to happen? My protection extends to all Solaris… even the ones that remain loyal to Anyo.** ”

They very pointedly looked back at Eudico while the Corpus they had threatened literally fell over himself as he scrambled to put distance between himself and the Tenno.  The threatening atmosphere had already lifted from around Rev Tal, and they put one hand behind their back with the other on their chest and gave a half-bow to the Corpus squad before offering both their arms out - wrists up - for the cuffs one of them was carrying.

“Of course you will have nothing to fear, so long as no Solaris is harmed while I am at AnyoCorp Headquarters on Neptune --”

“Neptune?”  Rev Tal did  _ not _ like the tone of smug amusement that the Corpus who had spoken had.  They started to bristle and pull away from the Corpus squad - but the cuffs were already on their wrists.  “Who said anything about going to Neptune?”

They were drowning in static as they stumbled - Warframe suddenly losing its strength.  Distortion blurred Rev Tal’s vision as the Corpus put their weapons down. Two grabbed the limp Warframe’s arms and started dragging it towards the ship behind them.

_ Transference disrupted. _

The words appeared in Rev Tal’s mind as they were unceremoniously shoved into the ship, Warframe collapsing onto the ground.  Their movements were jerky as they tried to get to their feet, reactions slow. Eudico was yelling, though her words were mostly indistinct as the Tenno’s senses blurred in and out.  Something about… wanting to know what was happening to them? Eventually they lost all strength, and stopped moving except for when their body shook.

“Pkiy iy pakitj potjet pkat I ekkeypep…”  The comment was offhand as one of the Corpus stared down at Rev Tal’s twitching form, nudging them with his foot.

_ This is taking longer than I expected _ .

_ What is? _   Rev Tal couldn’t speak as another spasm wracked their form.  The answer became evident as a pulse of Void energy erupted from them, shattering the cuffs… and also throwing Rev Tal from Transference.  They hit the back wall of the transport while their Warframe was thrown forward. All air seemed to have left Rev Tal’s lungs - both from the impact and from the shock of being torn from Transference.  The Corpus didn’t have technology like that - at least Rev Tal didn’t think they did.

“Jtat pkes!  Atp jep pke Ask ott ot pkes!”

Corpus gloves grabbed Rev Tal’s shoulders and tugged the contraption off of their arm.  They followed their Amp’s path with their eyes, watching as it was placed in a case and taken away - deeper in the ship.  Rev Tal’s chest rose and fell rapidly as they struggled to stop themself from hyperventilating. If the cuffs had caused the Transference disruption, then maybe-

“Jep pke yoppat ot - ruiyk!”

Another barked Corpus order, and Rev Tal struggled against their captors’ hands as a strange device was fitted around their Harrow’s neck.  Void energy sparked off of their body as they tried to establish a Transference link - rough scream leaving their throat as their Warframe only twitched in response.  No link. Seemingly satisfied, two of the Corpus broke off from the main group, dragging the Harrow with them. Rev Tal briefly broke free from the Corpus holding them back as they tried to give chase - but without their Warframe they were still weak from the Dream, and were easily once again caught and restrained.

“ _ Don’t hurt him! _ ”  Rev Tal begged, legs giving out underneath them as tears welled in their eyes.  “ _ Please!  Don’t hurt him! _ ”

 

\---

 

Numb would probably be the best word to describe Rev Tal as they were maneuvered into a seat on the Corpus transport, one of the Crewmen strapping them in before going to his own seat across from them.  The Tenno barely reacted, eyes dropping to their hands and starting to fidget with their gloves. All the Corpus in the room were staring at them and that knowledge made their skin crawl.

“Tuyp a kip…”  One of the Crewmen mumbled before shaking his head and standing up - leaving the room.  “I yat’p tepiete ip, pkes’te tyup a kip.”

Rev Tal grit their teeth.  Even without being able to understand what was being said, they couldn’t screen out any of it.  Individual words popped out here and there, but for the most part it all sounded like gibberish.  At some point their hands had been cuffed together, so they couldn’t even raise their hands and cover their ears to try and block out some of the omnipresent Noise.

“Yep youtye tot Tukipet.” 

Another order.  This one dropped a cube of ice down Rev Tal’s back.  There was one word that stuck out. One word they knew.

Tukipet.

Jupiter.

The transport was bound for Jupiter.

 

And every Tenno worth their salt knew who lived there.

 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Corpus translations!!!  
> Jtat pkes! Atp jep pke Ask ott ot pkes! = Grab them! And get the amp off of them!  
> Jep pke yoppat ot - ruiyk! = Get the collar on - quick!  
> Tuyp a kip… I yat’p tepiete ip, pkes’te tyup a kip. = Just a kid... I can't believe it, they're just a kid.  
> Yep youtye tot Tukipet. = Set course for Jupiter.
> 
> Can you believe it took me six chapters to copy and paste a translation sheet into the google doc? I can.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! I'll give yall three guesses as to who's gonna show up next chapter lol


	7. Arrival on Jupiter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rev Tal is finally brought face-to-face with Nef Anyo, who is a creep.
> 
> An ally is found in an unexpected place.
> 
> A certain dickwad is here now too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I have no idea why that took so long
> 
> thats a lie yes I do I got an external hard drive so ive been playing elder scrolls online and also there's a new nightwave 
> 
> translations for corpus are in the end notes!! Thanks for reading!!

In any other situation, the planet would be a beautiful sight.  Jupiter’s faint rings, countless moons, and the swirling, spiralling storms that gave the gas giant its distinctive features painting a stunning backdrop against the dark void of space.  Rev Tal had spent many hours simply staring down at it in their own orbiter, overtaken by a quiet awe at the sheer majesty of the planet. This time, though, the sight only brought a sense of dread pooling in the pit of their stomach.  They only half-listened to the Corpus chatter, only barely able to parse individual words and even less able to understand them. If only they could cover their ears - the cuffs around their wrists prevented the Tenno from separating their hands enough to do anything.  Tucking their arms closer to their body and leaning over, Rev Tal attempted to curl into a ball while rocking back and forth. Again, they tried to reach out to their Harrow through transference. There was nothing at the other end of the connection, and their other Warframes were too far away - stored somewhere in their Orbiter and in orbit around Venus.  No doubt Eudico had contacted their Cephalon and told him what had happened, but there was only so much Kaus could do… And even with void masking, the Corpus were likely to notice a Liset following them.

It seemed like everyone’s hands were, quite literally in Rev Tal’s case, tied.

“Get up.”  At least one of the crewmen could speak standard.  The Tenno didn’t move, and got an off - thank the Void - prova was jabbed into their side.  “I said get  _ up _ !”

The prova was raised into the air and Rev Tal closed their eyes, turning their head away and tensing up in anticipation of the strike.  It never came, and they peeked over their shoulder to see a different crewman wrestling the prova away from the one who had spoken.

“ _ Jkap pke kepp ate you poitj? _ ”  He hissed, shoving the other back against the transport’s wall.  “Ot po you jatp po ekkpait po Tet jky pke koypaje iy teapet uk?”

Both were wearing helmets, so Rev Tal couldn’t see their expressions, but there was a sort of chill in the air following the question.  Both crewmen glanced back at Rev Tal before the one who had been holding the prova roughly shoved the other’s hand off of him and grumbled something that sounded like ‘tite’ before he grabbed their arm and pulled them up off of the seat.  The Tenno’s legs buckled underneath their own weight, and the Crewman scoffed.

“I don’t get why Nef seems so scared of you.”  He said, letting them drop to the ground like a sack before squatting next to them, resting his arms on top of his knees before grabbing Rev Tal’s face and forcing their head up to look at his mask.  “Without your Warframe, you’re nothing. Can’t even do your lightshow thing without your amp. I could probably take you out with just a prova. You’re just a pathetic little th-- Agh!”

He didn’t get a chance to finish his thought.  In one quick motion Rev Tal and pulled their head free of his hand and sunk their teeth into his glove.  With their teeth buried into his hand, it was easy to see that the Void scarring that danced up their neck and crossed their lips had also impacted the inside of their mouth.  Where the Void scars painted their gums black, the teeth growing there were considerably larger and sharper than a normal human’s. In fact, anyone who saw them would likely use the word ‘fangs’ to describe them before saying they were teeth.  Bone crunched as Rev Tal only bit down harder when the crewman tried to extract his hand from their mouth - his glove tearing as he pulled back. There was an animalistic rage in the Tenno’s eyes as they slowly began to glaze over - a hot pink film slowly forming over their eyes.

“Tuyk,  _ tuyk! _ ”  The Crewman exclaimed, finally driving his hand into the side of Rev Tal’s head.  The slap was enough to cause the Tenno to open their mouth and he was able to dislodge his hand - cradling it to his chest as he tugged the bloodied glove off in order to examine the injury.  “Ykip. I pkitk pkey ttoke sy tuykitj katp.”

“I seat, po te tait, you  _ pip _ pautk pkes.”  His partner wasn’t sympathetic, only stepping to the side to let him by before looking back down at Rev Tal.  They were breathing hard, but their eyes had returned to normal. Or, as normal as a Tenno’s eyes could be. Part of their face was in shadow, and as their eyes passed through it, a pink glow was visible inside their pupils.  Similar, yet wholly different than Corpus eyeshine - and just familiar enough to be unnerving. They grimaced, turning their head and spitting to try and get the taste of blood out of their mouth. Judging by their continued grimace, it didn’t seem to work too well.

"Come on, kid."  This crewman seemed at least a little kinder.  Gentler, at least. Or maybe just more aware of the consequences his actions might have.  He held out a hand for Rev Tal to take. "No use fighting it right now."

The Tenno hesitated, glaring at his hand before slowly taking it and letting him pull them to their feet.  No air of resigned grace surrounded them this time as they were all but dragged out of the transport. Crewmen still parted before their path, but it was not out of respect.  If anything, they were trying to get out of the way of any potential crossfire. The escort stopped just inside the docking bay - massive pylons supporting a ceiling high enough to accommodate even the largest of Corpus frigates.  A Corpus word was engraved on the metallic floor, surrounded by the insignia of the faction as a whole. Electronic banners framed windows and cast a bluish glow through the room in contrast to the orangey light reflected back into the room from Jupiter’s swirling clouds.  They were all in perfect synch - alternating between the same word on the floor and a company insignia Rev Tal knew all too well.

Two voices interrupted their thoughts.  Both uncomfortably familiar and both speaking Corpus.  One was agitated, higher pitched, and Rev Tal could easily imagine the speaker’s gestures.  It sounded like they were arguing over something - the word ‘petto’ kept coming up, and Rev Tal had heard it shouted as a warning enough times to know what it meant.  Tenno.

The speakers rounded the corner and came into view.  Nef Anyo looked as smarmy as ever, if distracted by the person behind him.  He made a vague gesture backwards, a universal form of trying to get someone to shut up, before spreading his arms and beaming at Rev Tal.  The Tenno briefly closed their eyes and took a deep breath before he started talking - they could already feel the beginnings of a headache behind their eyes.

“Praise the Void!  You arrived safely and--  Why are they cuffed?” Nef proclaimed, cutting himself off with an aghast expression that was painfully overacted.  The Corpus around Rev Tal shifted slightly- clearly uncomfortable. “Uncuff them, quickly! This is no way to treat an Emissary of the Void!”

“Tup--”

“Toyy, jky ate you ykeakit ypatpatp?”

“Pkey TIP se!”

“NOW!”  Nef cut off the chatter with a barked order that made at least one of the gathered crewmen flinch.  Another quietly took out a key and unlocked the cuffs restraining Rev Tal’s hands. The Tenno rubbed their wrists, shying away from Nef’s hand as he held it out for them to shake.  “It is an honor to meet you face-to-face finally, O Emissary of the Void.”

The only response he got was Rev Tal pulling their arms up to their chest and looking from his hand to his face and back down again.  A loud clang caused them to jolt and turn to look. While Nef had been greeting Rev Tal the transport had been unloading its cargo and the proxies and crewpeople responsible had let one of the containers slip.  It had landed on its side and fallen open - a limp arm visible just inside.

“Phy--”  Rev Tal gasped, taking a step forward before Nef’s companion strode forward.

“Te  _ yatetup  _ jipk pkap!”  High-pitched, a little harsh, and punctuated by a frustrated gesture.  The Tenno bit the inside of their cheek as they seemed to try and hug themself a little tighter.  Alad V pointed at the case containing Rev Tal’s Harrow, teeth clenched. “Ate you  _ ptyitj  _ po  _ tteak  _ ip?”

Mumbled apologies came from the Crewmen as Alad examined the case before crossing his arms and shaking his head.  He hummed to himself briefly before snapping his fingers and pointing at a couple crewmen. “You. Pake ip po pke paty.”

They were going to follow.  They wanted to follow and find out why they couldn’t enter Transference with their Harrow and fix the problem and then.  And then they would. Whatever they were thinking was abruptly stopped as Nef Anyo put a gloved arm around their shoulders, pulling Rev Tal a little closer to himself.

“Don’t worry about that, O Void Emissary.”  His voice was slimy as ever, but the over-familiarity combined with physical contact had Rev Tal recoiling from him.  On top of all of it, he smelled weird - some artificial perfume probably meant to invoke the Void. To Rev Tal it smelled more like someone had soaked about 12 different kinds of flowers in a mixture of rubbing alcohol and coolant.  “All of his… unpleasantness will be kept far away from your suite. Not to mention my people will be keeping a close eye on him - your Warframe will be perfectly safe. So… would you like the tour or to see your suite first? Oh, who am I kidding, you must be  _ exhausted _ .  I do apologize for how my employees behaved.  There was some… miscommunication. Rest assured, the person responsible has been fired.  Now come, to your suite.”

The Tenno didn’t speak.  Nef’s arm around them, his fingers digging into their arm as he steered them deeper into the Gas City had pushed Rev Tal into a numb state.  They effectively shut down - eyes fixed on the ground as Nef lead them through the hallways and up several flights of stairs. Initially, Rev Tal had intended to commit the path they took to memory in case they had the chance to run, but the number of twists and turns that took them deeper into the floating complex made it impossible for the Tenno to follow.  Nef Anyo had continued to talk as he all but dragged Rev Tal along, but none of it was parsing until he stopped outside of an elevator. A young Corpus was standing off to the side, looking down at the datapad he was holding and chewing on the thumb of his glove with a furrowed brow. Judging by his clothing, he was either a board member - remarkable if true, given his apparent age - or someone’s apprentice.

“Ahh, nephew!”  Nef said, letting go of Rev Tal to clasp his hands together.  “Look who’s arrived! The Void Emissary is finally here! Will you finish showing them to their suite for me?  You know your uncle is a busy man.”

“Of course, Uncle.”  He put his datapad away and gave an odd half-bow before nodding to Rev Tal and gingerly taking their arm and taking them inside of the elevator.  Once the door closed and the hum of machinery got loud enough to obscure his voice, the young man spoke again. “I’m sorry about all of this. Vox Solaris told me what happened.”

The Tenno’s shock must’ve shown on their face, since the young man grinned and winked at them.  “You’re not alone here, Tenno. My name’s Derf. I’ve been a contact for Solaris United since Deck 12.”

 

\---

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god there's so many im so sorry
> 
> Jkap pke kepp ate you poitj? - What the hell are you doing?  
> Ot po you jatp po ekkpait po Tet jky pke koypaje iy teapet uk? - Or do you want to explain to Nef why the hostage is beaten up?  
> tite - fine  
> Tuyk, tuyk! - Fuck, fuck!  
> Ykip. I pkitk pkey ttoke sy tuykitj katp. - Shit. I think they broke my fucking hand.  
> I seat, po te tait, you pip pautk pkes. - I mean, to be fair, you did taunt them.  
> Tup-- - But--  
> Toyy, jky ate you ykeakit ypatpatp? - Boss, why are you speaking standard?  
> Pkey TIP se! - They BIT me!  
> Te yatetup jipk pkap! - Be careful with that!  
> Ate you ptyitj po tteak ip? - Are you trying to break it?  
> You. Pake ip po pke paty. - You. Take it to the labs.


	8. Unexpected Allies and Old Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nef Anyo starts trying to show off his new captive, Rev Tal isn't amused, we see what Alad is up to, and Nef calls a Corpus Board meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took a long time and ive got no excuse

The suite was nice enough.  Private, or at least with no obvious cameras.  A bathroom roughly the size of a closet. A bed that wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but wasn’t quite comfortable either.  A shaded window that allowed Rev Tal to look out into the swirling clouds of gas that made up the planet. Sparse decorations.  The walls had the slight metallic gleam Rev Tal had come to associate with higher-ranking Corpus establishments, and a Domestik Drone scooted by, silently collecting any speck of dust from the ground before returning to its charging port.  With a sigh, Rev Tal laid down on the bed and studied the ceiling - Derf's words replaying over and over again in their mind. Was he telling the truth? If so, how had he made it this far without Nef - his  _ uncle _ \- finding out?  Or was it all just an attempt at manipulating them?  They rolled onto their side, tucking one of their arms under their head and staring at their distorted reflection in the wall.  Something seemed off - more off than it should have been. Slowly, Rev Tal pushed themself into a sitting position, narrowing their eyes at their reflection.

Their reflection simply smirked and winked.   **Hey kiddo.**

They groaned and turned away from The Man in the Wall, rubbing their temples.  “I can’t deal with you right now.” They mumbled, trying to ignore the apparition.  “This place is probably being monitored. You’ll make me look suspicious.”

The Man in the Wall didn’t speak, and when Rev Tal turned to look, their reflection had returned to normal.  As per usual, he had disappeared shortly after speaking - leaving behind only a charged patch of air that only the Tenno was able to sense.  They glared at the air for a few seconds before laying back down and sighing. “Bastard.”

 

\---

 

Elsewhere in the Gas City, Alad V was faced with a dilemma.  He was under express orders from Nef Anyo not to dismantle the hypercomplex, organic-based Proxy known as a Warframe, but this was also the first time in a long time he had access to the following: a well-equipped lab, a disabled Warframe, and some semblance of  _ privacy _ .  He paused in his pacing to study the Warframe a little closer.  This one was apparently called  _ Harrow _ , and he quietly scoffed at its dramatic appearance, pushing aside the pseudo-cloth draperies to get a better look at its legs.

"Who designed this thing?"  He asked, waiting for a response before sighing and absently touching the faintly glowing purple scars that traced the side of his face.  "Hn. Right. I'm alone now."

That observation didn't seem to stop him from talking to himself.  One of the lab's consoles was running a recording program, documenting what Alad was saying and doing - apparently talking while he worked had been a habit long before his infection.  His gloved hands danced over the tools he had set out to the side of the Warframe before finally choosing one - the familiarity with the bladed hook evident while he deftly spun it around in his hand while he tried to decide where to begin.

"I always did start from the neck."  He eventually murmured, pressing a few buttons to change the angle of the table so he could more easily reach the Warframe's head and neck.  The collar was still held secure, but Alad pushed it down to study the back of the Harrow's head, turning its chin to the side and humming to himself as he thought.  "Oh, hello. That's new."

The "new" thing was a piece of technology Alad hadn't seen on any other Warframes.  It was situated roughly where the Harrow's head and neck connected - an area analogous to where the very first vertebrae were on a human.  Taking great care not to puncture deeper, Alad pushed the hooked tool under the device and began working it free. Absorbed as he was in his work, he didn't notice the Warframe's hands beginning to twitch until he pried the device completely free.

"Now, let's take a look at what we h--  glk!"

Alad never got the chance to finish his thought.  The Harrow had moved - and even if the Corpus scientist had been on guard and expecting motion, it was far too quick for him to stop or get away from.  He dropped the tool and device, hands going to his neck as he tried to pry the Warframe's hand away from his neck. Its grip was like iron as the Harrow turned its head to look at him, slowly pushing itself off of the platform.

And then it spoke.  Hollow, rasping, a voice felt more than heard.  The voice on the transmissions.

" _ Where.  Is. My.  Operator. _ "

Panic gripped Alad's mind and he reached out to hit the failsafe button.  An arc of electricity pulsed through the Warframe - stunning it long enough for Alad to break free and restrain it, all while rubbing his neck and coughing.  He took a moment to compose himself, picking up the device from the ground and turning it over in his hands. A different console blinked, and Alad opened the transmission almost casually - adjusting his high collar to hide any marks that the Harrow's hand may have left.

"You activated the failsafe?"  Nef asked, and Alad cleared his throat before chuckling.

"Ah- yes.  Everything's perfectly fine down here - the disrupter collar is working perfectly.  I'm just a tad - heh - jumpy it seems. Thought I saw the damn thing move while I was doing a noninvasive survey and panicked."

Nef didn't look like he believed Alad, but the AnyoCorp CEO was completely without evidence so he simply sighed and rubbed his temples.  "Just… finish up quickly. The board wants the data soon. Don't make me regret saving your ass from the debt collectors."

"I won't, I won't."  Alad assured him, waving his hand dismissively.  "When I figure out how to harness whatever power the Tenno use-"

"When  _ we  _ figure out."  The correction was small, but enough to make Alad grind his teeth and grip the device hidden behind his back a little harder.

"Yes.  Of course.  When we figure out how to harness the Tenno's power."  He gave Nef a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Trust me.  The profit that will come from this will earn back the credits you lost at least tenfold!  And, uh- hm… The ‘other half’ you talked about. Where… Is it?”

“You mean the Operator?”  Nef asked. “... They should be in the suite I set aside for them.  That’s what the monitoring system says, at least.”

Operator.  The same word the Harrow had said.  Alad’s brows furrowed together as he frowned, lost in thought.  Sure, he was probably the only Corpus with any degree of familiarity with the Tenno’s anatomy, but there were still so many things that eluded him about the creatures.  Not to mention that the Lotus never got back to him with the answers to his many,  _ many _ questions after the unpleasantness with the Sentients and the moon.

“The suite is on the other side of the Gas City.”  Nef assured Alad, misinterpreting Alad's expression as concern.  "Not to mention your lab is heavily guarded."

Alad resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  Nef was lying through his teeth again, and Alad was almost offended that Nef had the audacity to lie to him.  Guards didn't stop Tenno, everyone knew that. What guards did do very well was spy on other Corpus and keep watch of people you didn't quite trust.  He cleared his throat before tapping his gloved fingers together.

"I…  Uh, aheh.  I would like to get back to work."  Alad said, awkwardly gesturing to the table.  "Even without any dissection, there's so much to learn from these Warframes.  I'll keep you updated."

"Of course.  Remember that there’s a meeting soon, and I want you there."  Nef said, dipping his head before shutting off the transmission.  Alad took a deep breath before sighing, rubbing his face before looking back over at the Harrow.  It turned its head to face him, arms and legs now secured to the table.

"So!"  Alad began, pressing his hands together and sitting down across from the Warframe.  A smile twisted scars and tattoos alike as he studied the apparently living Warframe.  "... You and I have quite a bit to talk about."

 

\---

 

Rev Tal's eyes snapped open and they pushed themself up into a sitting position.  They had apparently fallen asleep - but now their heart was pounding in their chest and the impression of a dream still fluttered in their mind.  Eyes shut tight as Rev Tal covered their face to try and hang on to the dream. Their Warframe had been there, but so had Alad. Something felt like it wasn’t quite all just a dream - and a small flicker of Transference energy lit up their vision for a brief moment before once more flickering away.  Exasperated, Rev Tal dropped their hands and opened their eyes to look around the room. At least the view of the gas swirling around outside of the window was pretty. They watched for a few moments before a beeping drew their attention to the console near the bed. A light was blinking, Corpus lettering next to it that the Tenno guessed as probably meaning something like ‘call waiting’ so, despite their better instincts, they pressed it.

“Tenno, you’re going to be a guest at a Board meeting that I will be holding in approximately one hour.”  Nef’s voice was brusque and businesslike. Rev Tal was slightly taken aback - this wasn’t the long-winded televangelist they had gotten accustomed to dealing with.  “Try to make yourself  _ presentable _ .  There are clothes in the suite that should fit you.  Security will come get you in about 30 minutes - and you are not permitted to leave before then.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”  Rev Tal’s response, while juvenile, was entirely automatic.  Nef, however, had already hung up. Ghostly laughter echoed, and the Tenno glared briefly at the Man in the Wall before he once again vanished.  They groaned, leaning their head back in a melodramatic performance for whoever (and whatever) was monitoring them before slowly sliding off the bed onto the floor.  They lay there for a moment before standing up and going to the dresser and pulling it open. All the clothing inside was Corpus aristocrat style - tacky, blue and yellow, and as Rev Tal ran their hands over them they determined that a lot of it also felt  _ awful _ .

30 minutes later, Nef Anyo barged into their room, his nephew following a little ways back.  Derf raised an eyebrow when he saw that Rev Tal hadn’t changed clothes, a small smirk playing across his face before vanishing as his uncle looked back at him briefly, mouth open like he was about to say something.  It took a moment, but Nef managed to rearrange his expression into a forced smile. He steepled his fingers in front of himself before clearing his throat and looking at Rev Tal.

“I- Ah… Tenno, I was under the impression I told you to change clothes.”

“You told me to make myself presentable.”  Rev Tal retorted. “I decided I was already presentable.  If you wanted me to change clothes, you should’ve said that.”

Nef pressed his lips together, a muscle in his jaw working before he managed to get his voice to work again.  “I… Suppose so. Now come, Rev. May I call you by your first name? There is a meeting we should be getting to.”

“My first name  _ is _ Rev Tal.  My  _ full  _ name is Rev Tal Anar.”

“Sounds…  _ Grineer _ .”  Nef’s nose wrinkled as he all but spat the opposing faction’s name.  It was clear that he was attempting to insult the Tenno, but they merely smiled at him - baring fang like teeth and warping their Void scarring.

“It is.”

Nef Anyo looked like he was about to ask if the Tenno had a different name he could call them before he simply turned on his heel and began walking out of the room.  “Come, O Void Emissary! We have a meeting to get to.”

 

\---

 

The walk to the boardroom was otherwise uneventful.  Nef Anyo preached, and Rev Tal and Derf ignored him. Nef only stopped talking when he came to a stop in front of a large pair of doors.  He tugged a glove off before placing his hand on a sensor that scanned biometrics and tattoos alike before producing a cheerful ping and letting the doors slide open.  An impressive room stood beyond the doors - dominated by a long table with high backed chairs. Most of the chairs were vacant, save for three. One unfortunately contained Alad, who looked bored and like he may have been doodling.  An unfamiliar Corpus was sitting with his back to the three, tapping his stylus against the table. The last occupied chair had a hologram of - surprisingly - Frohd Bek. Rev Tal raised their eyebrows, like may Tenno they had assumed him dead.  Finally, their attention was drawn to the arch that appeared to be holding up the ceiling. Corpus lettering graced the top, and Rev Tal glanced to Derf for a translation.

“Boardroom.  Kinda obvious in retrospect, huh?"  Derf said, patting the Tenno on the shoulder before sliding into the chair next to the unfamiliar Corpus.

"This better be good, Anyo."  Frohd rasped, a hand pressed to the modification around his neck as he spoke.  "You can't just call a board meeting on short notice like this. You're lucky I was able to call in - everyone not on Jupiter is busy.  So get on with it. Tell us about your Void Emissary."

"Ah, yes.  The  _ Tenno _ .  Tell me, Nef, where- ah- where is this Tenno of yours?"  Alad leaned forward to look at the other Corpus, his eyes flicking past Rev Tal.  "Their Warframe is in my labs, I've - aheh - made sure of that. But you claim there's another half.  So? Where is it?"

Nef placed his hand squarely on Rev Tal’s upper back, pushing them forward until they were forced to stand next to him.  They swore under their breath when their hip collided with the table, glaring down at the curved edge like it had personally insulted them.  The man Derf was sitting next to raised his eyebrows and stopped tapping his pen, but said nothing. Alad, on the other hand, offered no such kindness.

“Nef.  You can’t be serious.”  It seemed that Alad had caught on to what he was about to say faster than the other board members.  Or maybe he was the only one who felt inclined to talk and make the meeting last that much longer. “That’s a child.  They’re what-- 20? Do you mean- Do you mean to tell me, all this time, the Tenno were  _ children _ ?”

“You parade around this place with a proxy you’ve made out of torn apart Warframes and your concern isn’t that they’re apparently human, but that they’re children?”  Frohd scoffed, the modification making the noise sound more like a burst of static than something that came from a human’s throat.

“I draw a line somewhere, unlike you and Nef.”  Alad growled, crossing his arms and glaring at the hologram.  “And that line is: no kids.”

“Oh  _ yes _ , you’ve got  _ such _ the moral high ground here.”  Nef’s voice was dripping with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes.  From Rev Tal’s perspective, he almost seemed more miffed that the Board had stopped paying attention to him than Alad trying to make himself seem… less awful.  “Mr. Vex, care to share?”

The unfamiliar man, - Mr. Vex, apparently - had taken a flask out of his coat and knocked back a shot of whatever was inside while the other Corpus were bickering.  He gave Nef a long, weary look before speaking.

“No.”  And with that, the flask was placed back inside of his coat.  Rev Tal turned to Derf, who had produced a tablet at some point and was playing what looked like it may have been Frame Fighter.

“Are Board meetings always like this?”  They asked, not bothering to whisper.

“Nah.”  Derf glanced up for half a second, long enough for whoever he was playing against to take advantage and pound the character he was playing into the dust.  “Sometimes they’re worse.”

“IF I may continue.”  Nef had raised his voice, shooting Derf a look.  Something in his tone and expression caused the young Corpus to almost shrink back in his seat.  Rev Tal’s eyes narrowed slightly before Nef once again placed a hand on their back, sliding up to grip their shoulder in a way that made the Tenno bristle.  “Yes. This is the source of the Tenno’s power. Rumor has it that they’ve been blessed by the Void itself, but… well, I know some of us here are a tad skeptical.  Which is why I have elected to have a series of tests and demonstrations for our dear Void Emissary to prove what they really are.”

"Send me the results."  Frohd ordered. "I'm not leaving Pluto airspace just for your… newest scheme."

"I thought it was because you were still in the hospital after the Tenno almost killed you."  Alad commented, tone remaining light and cheerful but still carrying some degree of threat. On the hologram, Frohd turned red - clashing with his tattoos and jumpsuit.

"Oh, and how long did it take _ you _ to recover from your most recent… accident?"  He snapped. He looked like he was going to say something else before he covered his mouth and began coughing.  Alad, acting seemingly on instinct, clutched his left shoulder and bared his teeth.

Mr. Vex wordlessly pulled out his flask, wiped the opening off a few more times than necessary, and offered it to Nef.

 

\---

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr Vex is my buddy Aster's Corpus oc, Kraig Vex. He may have a few more little cameos throughout this fic!
> 
> His hip flask is also full of ginger ale.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


	9. Testing the Emissary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rev Tal's abilities are put to the test by AnyoCorp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warnings for this chapter: hand trauma, light gore, some mentions of needles and medical things

The Jupiter Gas City was well-equipped for weapons testing.  Though it had since expanded to all forms of proxy manufacturing, the city had initially been built to test and create weaponry - and that remained the major source of profit from the industries that had since found their home on the gas giant and under Alad V’s conglomerate.  Much like the Enrichment Labs in the Orb Vallis on Venus, the deep levels of the Gas City - Vapos, to the Corpus who lived and worked there - held testing facilities built to withstand even the most powerful of Corpus technology. And it was there Nef Anyo had demanded a demonstration of Rev Tal’s abilities.

The Tenno had protested - demanded their Amp back at the very least.  In return, Nef had asked if it was possible for the Tenno to use their powers without it.  In retrospect, they should’ve lied and said that no, without the amp they couldn’t. What instead was said was a cut off ‘yes, but--’ before Rev Tal was ushered into the testing area - the door slamming closed behind them.  Nef looked through the observation window expectantly, eyebrows raised. In contrast, Alad V lurked behind him - a sour expression twisting his pale face further as he glared down at a datapad.

“Well?”  Nef asked, gesturing at the target at one end of the testing chamber.  “What are you waiting for?”

Rev Tal looked down at their hands, carefully flexing their fingers as a weak pulse of void energy left their hands.  They  _ could _ , that was the thing.  They were fully capable of using their powers without their amp - they had just been told not to by Quill Onkko when they first awakened from the Dream.  It felt so long ago now, but his warning still rang in their ears.

_ Never use your powers without an amp, Tenno, lest the Void finishes its work and destroys you _ .

They hadn’t believed him at first.  Peeling back their fingerless gloves, the Tenno studied their stained black hands quietly before tossing them to the side and beginning to undo the front of their Transference suit.

“Er, Tenno?”  Nef asked, leaning forward to speak over the intercom.  “What are you doing?”

“I like this jacket.”  Rev Tal replied, unhooking the final piece from around their neck and slipping it off before tossing it to sit with their gloves in a crumpled heap.  They stretched, one arm over the other across their chest - the extensive Void scarring that covered their arms on full display. It traced up past their elbows, turning almost their entire forearms and hands black.  Pink energy occasionally pulsed through it, lighting up patterns that would not have been out of place on crystals that seemed to sit just under their skin. Though the Tenno was right-handed, Rev Tal extended their left hand, placing their right hand on their forearm and turning slightly so that their back faced the observation window.  “Don’t want it to get fucked up.”

Nef would’ve asked what they meant by that if his eyes hadn’t been drawn to markings on the Tenno’s shoulders that were normally hidden by their jacket.  As energy began to pulse down Rev Tal’s arm, the Corpus sucked in air through his teeth. Black squares - clean and precise lines. Solaris markings. A visual declaration of the Tenno’s allegiance that spoke louder than any glowing sigil on their Warframe could.  Alad’s tattooed-on eyebrows had raised as well, though he seemed more focused on what the Tenno was  _ doing _ than what they looked like.

That same hot pink energy that had become Rev Tal’s calling card was crackling along their skin, following the twisting marks already burned into their flesh before gathering in the palm of their hand.  Stray wisps of energy broke off and illuminated the room like a miniature solar flare. A small sound of pain left the Tenno as one licked along a new path on their arm - extending the burn. Some form of partially translucent black liquid began to well up from the wound, dripping down their arm and onto the floor as Rev Tal bared their teeth and seemed to  _ push _ , lips twisted in a soundless snarl before the gathering energy exploded forward with the same force as Jupiter’s lightning.

When Nef Anyo’s vision cleared, half of the room the Tenno had been in was missing - opened to Jupiter’s atmosphere.  His ears were still ringing, mouth slightly agape as Alad barked orders he couldn’t hear to the crewmen. The Corpus scientist eventually seemed to get frustrated and all but forced the door open to drag Rev Tal back into the observation room.  They were curled in on themself, barely conscious and clinging to their left arm. That same black ichor was beginning to spread out from underneath them.

“Get them to the medical facility.”  Alad insisted, checking the Tenno’s pulse as Rev Tal lay limp in his arms.  His voice was hoarse, tense and scared. The shifting of position as he rolled them onto a stretcher revealed the source of the strange ichor.  Exposed bone stood out white against black skin, and a gash ran up Rev Tal’s arm to their elbow. Pink energy flickered through new burns, before reaching the gash and sparking outward from torn veins and arteries.  Nef covered his mouth and turned away as medics began wrapping the Tenno’s ruined hand in gauze. Alad was at his side a moment later, a smear of the Tenno’s ichor - blood? - on his cheek and dripping from his gloves.  The scientist seemed to be far less sensitive to gore than Anyo, but he too looked somewhat sick as Rev Tal was taken away.

“Next test we give them their amp.”  Nef sighed, rubbing his eyes. “That power, though… I can see why they don’t use it unrestrained.”

“Next test?   _ Next  _ test?!”  Alad’s voice - while normally high pitched - had turned shrill.  “Nef, you can’t be serious! They’re still basically a  _ child _ !  They’re not-  You can’t- You saw what just happened!  I’m shutting this down. We can’t perform these kinds of tests on--”

The sound of gloved hand against flesh and a sharp bloom of pain stopped Alad in his tracks.  He reached up and touched a slowly reddening mark on the side of his face - shock and insult making him go quiet more than anything else.   _ How dare he.  I was once the owner of the most prominent Proxy manufacturing company in the Origin System.  It’s my tech that let you capture the Tenno. It’s. I- _

Alad bit the inside of his cheek to try and stem his silent seething as Nef looked at him, expression stony.  The other Corpus scoffed, studying his glove for any blemishes the strike may have caused.

“Look what you made me do.  You seem to have forgotten who’s in charge here, Alad V.”  Anyo said, the lilting preacher persona evaporating. “Remember… If not for me, you would be rotting away on Venus.  Quite literally, I believe. Even with your debts, I doubt the Solaris would feel inclined to forgive you.”

He paused, clicking his tongue in quiet disappointment before pulling out a small cloth and wiping something off of Alad’s face before pushing the cloth into the older man’s hand.   “Oh, who am I kidding? You’re already rotten.”

_ Infantilizing.  Hurt him. Hurt him hurt him maim him make him BLEED for that.  Insults. Insults to you, insults to US _ .

The thoughts rushing through Alad’s mind as he ground his teeth were not wholly his own.  Still, he used the cloth to dab at the softly glowing purple marks on his face, turning to stumble to the medbay.  A dull, throbbing ache akin to the headaches he would get when some idiot blew out a window and caused a massive pressure change on one of the Corpus frigates had started clawing at the base of his skull.

 

\---

 

The Gas City's medical facilities were well-equipped, clean, and efficient - much like everything the city claimed to be.  Unlike the rest of it, the medbays were  _ actually _ well-equipped, clean, and efficient.  For the most part they took care of work injuries sustained by crewmen - ranging from accidents to Tenno attacks.  The doctors who worked the Vapos Medical Group took pride in what they did, and considered themselves prepared for anything.

They were not prepared for the injury that brought Rev Tal into their facility on the upper decks of the city.  Sure, Doctor Vivienne Pav considered herself one of the best, and she'd seen mangled hands before, just not like this.  The Tenno was fluttering in and out of consciousness as she moved them to the operating table. A sharp breath in through her teeth punctuated the moment she saw the extent of the wound.  The Tenno's hand had all but been torn in two, and the burn went deep to singe bone and sinew.

Amputation seemed to be the only option.  Doctor Pav picked up a needle, going to the other side of the Tenno to try and place it in the crook of their arm.  The metal pressed to skin before slipping - sliding along the Tenno's arm without piercing in.

"Strange."  She muttered to herself, frowning behind her mask - picking up a different needle and trying again.  This one found purchase before bending, barely making a mark on the Tenno's skin. A third needle was tried, this time on their injured arm, and that one snapped in two.  The doctor stared at the broken pieces before, on a hunch, picking up a saw and trying to remove the Tenno's injured arm. A shower of sparks followed her saw, doing nothing but ruining the blade.  She set it aside, picking up gauze to wipe away what she assumed was the Tenno's blood before freezing. In places, the deep wounds were considerably shallower. The initial diagnosis photos she had on hand were markedly different - their arm was healing almost before her very eyes.

Doctor Vivenne Pav was not particularly religious.  She thought Nef Anyo was a fraud and a liar, but kept that to herself and paid her dues, bills, and taxes without complaint.  This was the first time she had ever seen anything remotely akin to what most called 'void magic'. She hadn't prayed since her days at the Academy, and she wracked her brain to try and remember one.  It was whispered as she delicately cleaned, covered, and wrapped the Tenno's arm - a prayer for the Void to grant Profit and Prosperity. As she worked, as she prayed, she was unsure who she was praying for - herself, or the Tenno Operator laying injured in her clinic.

 

\---

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is a little shorter, im sorry. Ive been busy with school and work bc i got a job and class started again


	10. Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rev Tal and Alad V are in the same medical bay. Dr Pav mediates a discussion, and an agreement is made.

Dr. Pav was uneasy, looking at a slide under a microscope.  She had managed to get a sample of what she assumed was the Tenno’s blood and was now examining it closely, brows furrowed.  In between the familiar structures one would expect to find in blood, there were small flecks of what appeared to be a crystalline structure.  The doctor increased the magnification and when the light shone through the sample, it created a dizzying prismatic effect. She leaned back, rubbing her eyes to clear them before looking again.

"Argon?"  She asked, speaking to the empty lab.  Argon crystals were notoriously difficult to get your hands on - unless you could freely travel the Void - and they degraded so quickly without proper stabilization that the average size raw crystals would disappear over the course of a day - smaller ones disappearing in minutes.  And the Tenno had what seemed to be raw Argon crystals in their bloodstream - microscopic yet stable. She raised her head from the microscope to look at the curtain that shielded the resting Tenno from view, a chill running down her spine and settling somewhere in the pit of her stomach.  “What…  _ are  _ you, Tenno?”

A bang caused the doctor to jump and swear loudly, shoving the microscope away and almost knocking her samples onto the floor.  She stood up slightly too quickly, and grabbed for the edge of the table to wait for the dizziness to pass. Dr Pav had been with Vapos Medical Group for quite some time, and knew the sound of someone falling over and bringing something they were holding on to down with them quite well.  She grit her teeth and grabbed her cane off the side of the table before she rushed to the hallway to see who had fallen.

“Alad.”  That was the closest thing to a greeting the crumpled scientist was going to get from her.  She had survived the Mutalist situation in part because of the quarantine that she had imposed on the medical facilities, but there was still a bitter edge to her voice.  A lot of good crew had been lost. But she was a doctor, so she pulled on her gloves and helped the older Corpus to his feet as best she could.

“I’m not contagious.”  Alad griped, wincing as Dr Pav got him settled with an IV.  “You don’t need all that.”

“One: unlike you I follow standard procedure.  Two: you said that the first time, and we all know that was a lie.”  She was short with Alad as she adjusted the mask she wore and double-checked that her dreadlocks were tied back.  She didn’t turn her back to the man as she picked up a datapad, raising a tattooed eyebrow at him. “What triggered this one?”

“Nef slapped me.”

Dr Pav tried not to laugh at him as she typed on the datapad.  Alad simply leaned back, closing his eyes as the purple glow that had begun to creep along his skin slowly started to fade.  He looked sick - sicker than usual - but again, Dr Pav found herself lacking sympathy. She sighed as she eased herself into a wheelchair, rubbing one of her legs.

“... Why’d he slap you?”  She finally asked. “He usually just tries to guilt people into doing things.”

“Ah, well - heh - we both know that won’t work on me.”  Alad seemed to have found some humor in his situation. Dr Pav did not.  “I… Told him I wouldn’t participate with testing the Tenno. I told him we couldn’t.”

"And what brought about this change of heart?  Last time we talked like this you were almost vibrating with excitement over being able to test on a Tenno again."  Dr Pav looked at Alad over the rims of her glasses. "Or are you just that much of a hypocrite?"

Alad opened his eyes to glare at Dr Pav, but his gaze lacked much venom - mostly because she had a valid point.  He sighed, pushing air through his nose as he ran his left hand over his face.

“How the hell should I know, Vivienne?”  Alad demanded. “You’re not a therapist! Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell  _ you _ .  Nef has Vapos Medical in his pocket, just like the rest of this void-bedamned city.  I used to run this place, you know!”

“Yes, I was there.”  Dr Pav almost sounded bored.  “So you’re saying you don’t know if seeing a mangled child caused you to change your mind?  Or are you still trying to keep up appearances, you old fool.”

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her wheelchair and steepling her fingers.  A slight flush was coloring Alad’s sallow cheeks as he stammered weakly. Her gaze was unwavering, and she tapped her fingers against her lips before speaking again.

“I think you’re afraid.  I think you had an image of yourself in your head and you’re realizing that that’s not who you are.  I think you regret what you did, but you still want your seat on the Corpus Board.” Dr Pav sat back in her wheelchair, shaking her head and smiling.  “You’re a conflicted man, Mr V. And a shining example of utter bastard.”

“Fuck you, Dr Pav.  Respectfully.”

  


\---

  


He wasn’t sleeping.  The treatment’s side effects kept him awake for him to get any real rest, so Alad V was laying with his eyes closed - waiting for the room to stop spinning.  Vertigo was probably the worst of the side effects he experienced, or at least the most irritating to deal with. The sound of a curtain being pushed aside prompted him to crack an eye open and glance over at the source.  It was still jarring to see Rev Tal in their own form - not a menacing Warframe, but the Operator. Small, young, possibly even afraid. And now injured - their left arm was wrapped tightly in white bandages and hung in a sling.  They were watching him closely, the pink glow in their pupils illuminating their eyes in the darkened room. They seemed wary, watching him much like a feral Kavat watched an outstretched hand.

“I don’t bite.”  Alad commented, pushing himself closer to a sitting position.  “... You must hate me, don’t you Tenno?”

Rev Tal didn’t reply, only letting their eyes flick over Alad V’s form before settling back on his face.  He sighed, gesturing at the Tenno to come closer.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”  Alad said, trying to keep his voice reassuring.  “I-- I didn’t know. I thought the Warframes were just… Hyper-advanced Proxies.  I didn’t know there was someone… actually  _ inside _ them.  I didn’t know they were alive.”

Though he didn’t say it, Alad’s implications were clear.  There was an implied  _ you _ as he spoke.   _ I didn’t know what you were _ .

“That doesn’t make what you did any better.”

It was the first time the Tenno had spoken to him directly.  It was the first time  _ any _ Tenno had spoken to him directly.  Alad sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  Another headache was threatening to begin. They weren’t wrong.  Dr Pav wasn’t wrong either. Nobody that had brought up his actions had been wrong and it was starting to piss him off.  Slowly, he lowered his hand and looked at Rev Tal, narrow shoulders dropping.

“I know.  I know it doesn’t.  And nothing I can do or say can make it better.”  Alad was going to say something else, but a coughing fit wracked his body.  It felt as if his skin was  _ crawling _ , and in some areas it may have been.  When he recovered, the Tenno had drawn closer, brows knit together as they studied him.

“You’re not cured.”  The statement was somewhere between observation and  _ accusation _ .  Alad absently ran a hand down one of the scars on his face as he pressed his thin lips together.

“I’m… As cured as I can be.”  He decided. “Regor’s cure… Severed the connection, but it didn’t get rid of the disease.  And… It wasn’t permanent. Without this-” He waved at the IV drip. “Well, I’m sure you know what will happen to me.”

The Tenno’s nose wrinkled.  They were torn between disgust and pity, watching a man who had apparently  _ unknowingly _ tortured so many of their compatriots hack and wheeze as the medicine worked its way through his system.  Alad V didn’t seem to mind that the Tenno was sitting there, taking out a datapad and beginning to type on it.  He paused, turning to look at the Tenno. The bluish light from the datapad seemed to bleach his skin further, throwing the circles under his eyes into sharp relief.  He looked sick and exhausted, but Rev Tal still felt no sympathy.

“Your arm.”  Alad began, and Rev Tal held their bandaged limb slightly closer to their chest.  “It was almost completely destroyed when I pulled you out. Is it-- Are you--”

“I’ll heal.  It’s not the worst Void injury I’ve had.”  Rev Tal interrupted, mostly guessing Alad’s question.  “Wait-- You’re the one who got me here? Why?”

“A favor for a favor?”  He asked, raising his eyebrows.  “You owe me, now. I’ve done some digging.  You’ve made it obvious you’re closely linked to Solaris United, but you’re also aligned with the Steel Meridian, the Arbiters of Hexis, and Cephalon Suda.  Not to mention you’re part of a Tenno clan. You can help me  _ get what I want _ .”

“And what, pray tell, would that be?”

Alad grinned, a quiet chuckle leaving him.  “I want my seat on the Void-damned Corpus Board back.  I want my City back. I want Nef Anyo taken  _ down _ , at the very least a couple of pegs if not - heh-  _ completely _ .  The enemy of my enemy is my friend, no?”

“What do I get, besides my life saved once?”  Rev Tal countered. “Should we really be talking about this here?”

Alad scoffed, waving his hand dismissively.  “This is the safest place! Vapos Medical takes their doctor-patient confidentiality  _ quite  _ seriously.  This is the only place in the Gas City that isn’t bugged.  I would know, I helped build it. As for what do you get? Your Warframe back, for starters.  I know where it is. Then, perhaps, some instruction on how not to get yourself killed while being annoying.  That’s something I have quite a bit of experience with.”

“What do I get for not turning you two in?”

Both Alad V and the Tenno jolted.  Neither of them had heard Dr Pav re-enter the room.  She flicked some of the lights back on, leaning to the side in her wheelchair and smiling.  Alad stammered out some weak arguments, while Rev Tal slowly stood.

“Depends on what you want.”  They said, absently rubbing their bandaged arm as they studied Dr Pav’s tattoos and vitiligo.  “Not sure what I can give to a high-ranking Corpus doctor.”

“How about a ride?”  Dr Pav’s tone was casual.  “I want out. I’ve wanted out for a while.  Take me to a relay and just… point me to the Perrin Sequence, I’ll figure it out from there.”

“Deal.”  Rev Tal agreed.  “When I’m done here, I’ll take you with me.”

“Ah, that brings me to an important question: what  _ is _ your goal, exactly?”  Alad asked. “I’ve heard the terms of your agreement with Anyo, but… Tenno, there’s no way he’s going to uphold his end without having anything in writing.  Unless… Dear Void, you’re counting on that, aren’t you?”

Rev Tal glanced back and shot him a grin.  Their expression quickly soured, and they squinted at Alad - suspicious.  “What guarantee do I have that you’ll hold your end?”

“I’m writing down our agreement.”  Alad said, showing the Tenno the datapad.  “In exchange for mercenary work, your Warframe will be released from Corpus holding and you will receive any needed training.  Further terms can be negotiated in later meetings, and Dr Pav will provide any needed medical care in exchange for passage to the nearest Relay.”

The Tenno paused, taking the datapad from Alad before offering it to Dr Pav.

“Can you look over this and make sure there’s nothing sneaky?”  They asked, and Dr Pav barked a short laugh.

“They learn fast!”  She said, taking it and skimming over the agreement.  “Ahh… the only sneaky thing is the ‘further terms in later meetings’ loophole, but that’s in everyone’s contracts.  Alad may be an utter bastard, but… he does honor his contracts. We sign this, and we’re good to go.”

“I’m sitting right here.”  Alad pouted while Dr Pav quickly signed the bottom of the contract, handing it back to the Tenno so they could do so as well.  When the datapad was finally returned to him, he signed it with a rapid flourish, setting both it and the datapad aside before leaning forward, steepling his fingers.  “So! Where do we begin?”

  


\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im uploading this in class because i fear no gods


	11. The Nightingale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We briefly return to Fortuna and learn of an Informant inside AnyoCorp known as The Nightingale. Alad V reveals to Derf Anyo that he intends to work with Rev Tal, and shows some of his hand.

Fortuna.  Still lit by the neon lights, but feeling so much colder now.  The Tenno still flowed in and out of the city, but one was missing.  The Business leaned on his work table, looking over to where the Tenno he was close with usually sat.  No figure graced it, and the virmink that they had met before sniffed at it, looking up at Biz and making a small noise at the back of its throat.

“I know, little one.”  Biz said quietly, reaching over and stroking its fur.  Away from the harsh weather of the Vallis, its fur had begun to soften and become almost a soft down.  “I miss them too.”

It was projection and he knew it, but the Business’ heart still ached.  Given the average transport time, Rev Tal would’ve been on Jupiter for a few weeks now, and Fortuna had gotten no word from the Tenno since they left.  Since they were taken. He had still been in recovery when it happened - Ticker had shown him the broadcast once his rig had been fully repaired and he was not ashamed to admit he had cried.  Graffiti honoring the Tenno had emerged, and there was so much of it that even the most dedicated Crewman would never be able to find and scrub away it all.

Some good had emerged from Rev Tal's sacrifice.  The Solaris were, for the time being, protected. Biz had no doubt that the moment Nef Anyo felt he could get away with it, the Solaris would once again be at risk.  But for now? For now the threat of repossession no longer hung heavy over their rigs. The veteran Solaris refused to get complacent - continuing the grueling work schedule many took on in order to make payments if they could.  The sound of the lift just to the side of his little alcove humming drew Biz from his thoughts as Ticker came to his side and gently placed her hand on his back.

"How long has it been?"  He asked as the Virmink took interest in Ticker's offered hand.  "You'd know best."

"Three days, 14 hours, 20 minutes and something-odd seconds.”  Her response was almost automatic as she leaned against Biz’ arm, her head resting against his shoulder as she absently stroked the Virmink.  “And that’s just since they left, following standard Corpus time. They’ve probably been wherever they were taken for… Void only knows how long.”

Ticker’s hand slid off of Biz’ back before she turned to face him, leaning against the table.  She opened her rig to look at the other Solaris more closely, brows furrowed together.

“Has there been any contact?”

“Not yet.”  Biz shook his head as he spoke.  “Our contact within AnyoCorp has likely been too busy keeping up appearances to even let us know they’re safe.  It’s likely that he’s wherever they are, but… The chance exists that he isn’t. It’s been radio silence for everyone’s safety.”

“You sound like you hate it.”

“Observant as ever.  I… Dislike having things out of my control.  Always have.”

Ticker’s hand returns to its place on his back.  She’s gentle with him, in the way that only long-time rig jockeys could be.  He can feel the chill of her hands through his shirt, and even without that physical reminder he knows that under her gloves Ticker’s hands are metal and wire and plastic.  Though technically public record, the amount of her body that had been sold and replaced was intensely private information. Biz only knew the full extent because he had helped her to rebuild herself time after time.  It was a courtesy he would’ve extended to any Solaris, but it was Ticker who sought him out and trusted at one of her most vulnerable points. It was not a gesture it was easy for him to return, and Ticker knew that. But still… It was time to try.  A small datamas was pressed into Ticker’s hand, all but covered by Biz’ larger hands.

“This has a passcode embedded in it for our contact.  It should be no more risky than your usual line of work.”  Biz’ voice was muffled, he had not opened his rig but was no longer speaking through the cybernetic augments.  “I’m too much of a target, but…”

“I just run a thrifted goods store, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  Ticker’s hand closed around the datamass as she spoke, and she gently squeezed Biz’ shoulder.  “Don’t be such a stranger, Biz.”

It is only when she’s tucked away in the quiet parts of Fortuna that Ticker studies the datamass.  It’s small and simple, easy to slot into an unregistered datapad and easy to hide in the palm of a hand.  The insignia for Solaris United is inscribed on one side, Vox Solaris on the other. Both are invisible unless tilted just right, and Ticker spends some time turning it over in her hand before going to get a datapad.  The datamass clicks into place like it was made to be there, and it likely was. She leans back and rests on the wall, watching the loading bar slowly fill.

CONTACT: NIGHTINGALE

ESTABLISHING SECURE CONNECTION… … … 

… 

… 

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED

Ticker raised a hand to the front of her rig as the datapad lit up with a stylized bird.  The voice on the other end is synthesized yet musical, like whoever was ‘speaking’ on the other end was playing an instrument instead of simply using software.  Contacting people like this wasn’t unfamiliar to Ticker, it was inherent to what she did for the Solaris, and she felt herself falling into a comfortable script.

“This is the Nightingale.”

"Then sing for me, darling.  What do you have?"

 

\---

 

“It’s getting  _ out of hand _ , Alad.”

Nef was agitated, pacing around the office he had called the scientist to while Derf lounged in a chair off to the side, apparently playing a game on his datapad.  Alad carefully kept his face somewhere in between neutral and surprised as he watched the other Corpus pace.

“What is?”  The practiced innocence Alad had utilized many a time before the Corpus Board’s inquiries into what it was that he was doing had emerged, and Nef whipped around to glare at him before realizing that maybe that’s just his  _ voice _ .

“The Solaris situation.”  Nef finally sighed, dragging a gloved hand down his face.  “I had hoped removing the instigator would let the situation simmer down, but it hasn’t.  They’re  _ demanding _ to see Vox Tenno, but it’s not like I can let them broadcast!”

“Maybe you can.”  Alad said, raising his hands in defense when Nef opened his mouth to counter that no, he couldn’t, do you still have worms in your brain?  “Listen… If I can animate the Warframe  _ without _ the Tenno… There is a chance you can use it to broadcast!  Have it…Ah,  _ recant _ what they said."

"And you think this will work?"  Nef's tone is suspicious, but it sounded like he was at least somewhat open to the idea.  "You will… Be able to manipulate the Warframe itself? How?"

Alad put a hand on his narrow chest as if he had been hurt by the question.  "You think the scientist with the greatest and deepest understanding of Warframes wouldn't be able to tap in to whatever makes them tick?  You  _ wound _ me, Nef!  Besides, I… Aheh.  I've ah… done it before."

Nef furrowed his brows while Alad grinned at the younger Corpus.  A manic light had taken residence in the scientist's eyes as he gestured.  These sorts of pitches weren't  _ unfamiliar _ to Nef, but there was something different about this one.  Slowly, he halted his pacing and sank into his desk chair, lounging in it and resting his head against one hand - gesturing to Alad that he now had the floor.  Alad was and always had been an animated speaker, punctuating his statements with sweeping gestures that had almost struck many an Investor that had strayed too close.

"This isn't just a ploy to get your talons into the Warframe, is it?"  Nef was still suspicious of Alad's true intentions.

"Ha!  No. No it's most certainly a ploy to let me work with the Warframe."  Alad said, waving his hand. "I am being completely transparent with you, Mr Anyo.  This project will be  _ mutually  _ beneficial!  We will  _ both _ get what we want from the Warframe."

Nef tried to ignore the lilt to Alad's voice when he said  _ mutually _ .  The man was remarkably slimy, even for a Corpus.  Dr Pav had assured Nef that Alad had completed his needed treatment, but the AnyoCorp CEO still found himself studying the scarring for any signs of glowing purple.  Alad was almost never honest about anything, but he had been known to tell the truth when it benefited him. More importantly, as far as Nef could tell he had no reason to lie.

And it’s with that in mind that Nef ends his silent deliberation - pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.  “Fine. Fine! Do what you have to, just don't dismantle it. I need it intact."

"For what, your display case?"  Alad asked, stepping to the side as Nef stormed out of his office.  Derf stared at Alad and the space where his uncle had been before averting his eyes and rapidly typing on the datapad.  Alad frowned at him. "Are you ever not playing on that thing?"

 

\---

 

Ticker hissed, shaking her head as she listened to the Nightingale’s report.  The synthesized voice ‘spoke’ as whoever was typing on the other end, and its song was grim - the only good news being that contact had been established with the Tenno and that they were, for the time being, safe.  But they had been separated from their Warframe indefinitely, and if things didn’t seem bleak enough the Warframe now resided in the labs of one  _ Alad V _ .  Ticker was unashamed to admit she swore somewhat loudly when the Corpus scientist’s name was mentioned.  His history was notorious enough that even the Solaris, as isolated as they were, knew well what he did to any Warframe that crossed his lab.

Unlike many, Ticker was not surprised to hear that he was alive.  No Solaris was old enough to remember the last time a Corpus Board member, current or former, died.  Ticker, though, kept her finger on the pulse of Corpus information as best she could, and she hadn’t noticed the level of chaos that she would expect to see if a Corpus as high ranking as Alad V were gone.

“Saving the worst for last, eh Nightingale?”  Ticker asked, crossing one leg over the other as the informant continued their report.  “Forging a Vox Tenno broadcast… Void, I hope we can counter that. Especially if it’s done system-wide.”

 

\---

 

Nef poked his head back into the office, narrowing his eyes at his nephew.  

"Well?"  He asked.  Clearly he had expected Derf to follow him.  He was about to make a demand of the young man when Alad V made a half-cough, half-hum noise.

“Actually, Nef.  I would like to ah, borrow your nephew for a moment.”  Alad said, placing his hand on Derf’s shoulder and holding him still.  His hand was like a vice, and Derf felt his skin crawl as he recoiled from the contact once he realized which hand Alad had placed on him.  Nef glared at Alad for a moment before sighing.

“Fine, just make it quick.”

As soon as Nef left the room, Derf knocked Alad’s hand off of him.

“Get your Infested hands off of me!”  He snapped, roughly rubbing at the area Alad had touched.  It didn’t matter to Derf that Alad was reportedly ‘cured’. As far as he was concerned, the old Corpus was a walking biohazard - and just being in his vicinity was enough to spark anxiety and disgust.  He levelled a glare at Alad, still bristling. “What do you want?”

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you.”  Alad assured the younger man, walking over to a cabinet in the office.  He pulled out a glass and a bottle, glancing at the label for a moment before shrugging and pouring himself a drink.  “The only thing about your uncle that is low-class is his taste in alcohol.”

Derf didn’t reply.  He knew Alad well enough to know that he was essentially talking to himself unless whoever he was talking to was explicitly addressed by name.  The dig at his uncle meant nothing, Derf was well aware the story Nef had woven about him starting out as a lowly crewman and raising himself up after receiving a vision from the void was utter bullshit.  He watched as Alad sipped his drink, shuddered and grimaced at the flavor, and glanced down to Derf’s datapad.

“Let your little friends in Fortuna know that the broadcast can be trusted, will you?”

Whatever Derf was expecting to hear, that wasn’t it.  He sputtered out a weak excuse that he was not in contact with  _ any _ of the Solaris, but Alad simply held up a hand to silence him.  It worked, and Derf shut his mouth while Alad took another sip.

"I make it my business to know everyone's business.  So, because I know most of yours, I am  _ choosing _ to share some of mine."  Alad said, tone remaining light as if he was discussing something of no more importance as Earth's weather.  "I am, for the time being at least, allied with the Tenno known as Rev Tal."

"Why are you telling me this?  How do you know that I won't tell Uncle you're planning on betraying him- us?"

"Young Anyo, your uncle should already be expecting me to betray him.  If he isn't, he's more of an idiot than I thought." Alad paused while raising his glass to his lips.  "... And I know you won't tell him because I know something about you that he doesn't."

"And what is that?"  Derf's face and voice were carefully controlled, held in a way that only potential Corpus board members were taught.  It was a skill that would serve Derf well if he ever took over AnyoCorp, Alad mused as his lips split into a twisted smile as he chuckled.  No matter how controlled his expression was, the color in Derf's face drained when Alad spoke again.

"I know that you're the Nightingale."

 

\---

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my defense for this taking so long is 
> 
> i do not have one
> 
> also im posting this in a class I hate lol


	12. Broadcast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alad convinces Nef that he can use the Warframe in his lab to forge a Vox Tenno broadcast. He's lying.

Waiting.  That was all the Harrow had done since it had been separated from its operator, and that was what it was doing now.  The glass that covered it was shielded so the Warframe could see out, but nobody else could see in. It drumbed its fingers against the table it was strapped to, leaning forward as best it could to catch a glimpse of the lab door as it slid open.  Alad’s voice was muffled, but recognizable. He was speaking Corpus, but that would hide no secrets from the Warframe. If he were speaking Grineer, perhaps, but the Harrow doubted Alad would sully his tongue with such a language.

“Don’t interrupt me unless I press my personal emergency key.”  Alad was saying, stopped just inside the lab. The Harrow forced itself to lay still, waiting for the scientist to inevitably shoo his guards out of the room.  It didn’t blame them. It was well-acquainted with what Alad V was capable of. The doors to the lab slid shut, and Alad pushed a bolt in place - a manual lock that not even the most advanced cypher could break.  The scientist turned back to the Harrow, and grinned before clapping his gloved hands together.

“Well, let’s get to work, shall we?”

Even without a proper face or visible eyes, Alad could tell the Warframe was giving him a withering glare.  A few buttons were pressed, and the glass that separated it from the rest of the world slid away. Alad sat in his desk chair, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back, steepling his fingers together as he hummed.

“Care to tell me about the device I removed from you?”  He finally asked, indicating where it still sat on the workbench next to the wicked-looking and well-used tools.  When the Harrow remained silent, Alad simply scoffed. “Oh, don’t be  _ coy  _ with me.  I know you can talk.”

“ _ Where is my Operator? _ ”  The Warframe hissed, pulling against the restraints around its wrists.  Alad simply rolled his eyes.

“Ah, this again.  Play along and you’ll get to see them again.  No need for such dramatics… Though, if need be I can simply, ah… Aheh.   _ Take  _ what I want from you.  I won’t get all my questions answered, but I will still  _ get what I  _ **_want_ ** _. _ ”

“...  _ What  _ **_you_ ** _ want? _ ”  The Warframe echoed, head tilting slightly.  Somehow, its even and whispered voice was far more accusatory than any Corpus Alad had encountered after his infection and apparent cure.

“I am cured.”  Alad hissed, grabbing at his arm.  The Harrow managed to look skeptical, so Alad stood, one gloved hand going to the clasp around his arm and undoing his left glove.  He tugged it off with little flourish and began rolling up his sleeve. Metal had replaced flesh up to past his elbow, a prosthetic of clear Corpus make seemingly plugged into his very nerves.  Purplish scarring still marred his pale skin, but there was no glow to it, no sign of active Infestation. He grimaced before pulling his sleeve back down and returned his hand to the glove. “I cut it away from my very flesh.  I regularly take poison into my own body to prevent what little remains from ever reclaiming my mind. I. Am. Cured.”

“ _ Why share such vulnerability with me? _ ”  The Harrow finally spoke in the eloquent language that the Vox Tenno broadcasts had been using.  Alad had always had his doubts that it was Rev Tal speaking, especially after he met the Tenno face-to-face and one of the first things they had done was swear at him.  They had also performed a series of gestures that Alad assumed were rude and of Grineer origin, but he cared less about that. But the Harrow was speaking again, so he listened.  “ _ How do you not know that I shall use this against you?  I must reunite with my Operator. By any means necessary. _ ”

“Wonderful!”  Alad said, sounding entirely too cheerful.  “That’s what I like to hear! Any means necessary!  Which means you will be willing to… Aheh, cut a deal with me, yes?”

“...  _ What? _ ”

“Cut a deal.  You can hear me, I know that.”  Alad smirked. “I need you to do me a favor.  In return, I can deliver you safely to your Operator when the time is right.”

“ _ I am not a pawn for you to move as you choose, Corpus. _ ”  The Harrow hissed, trying once more to break the restraints.  “ _ I will not be delivered by anyone to anyone.  You show me your play and I decide what to do.  Would you be so vague if I were human? If I were another high-blood Corpus born with more credits than the Solaris would ever be able to dream of seeing?  Or would you sit me down and tell me your plan as equals? _ ”

“Oh, I would still be using you as a pawn if you were a fellow aristocrat.”  Alad said, remarkably nonchalant. “Clearly, you don’t know me as well as you like to pretend, Warframe.  But since you asked so nicely, I shall share  _ some _ of my plan with you.”

He sat back in his chair, once more tapping the device he had removed from the back of the Harrow’s neck.  “You tell me what this is. You play along. And you get your Operator back. I am currently working with them in order to destabilize AnyoCorp’s hold over the Gas City.  Vapos.  _ My  _ city.  Things go well for us, and I get shares in Fortuna, my place on the Corpus Board  _ rightfully  _ restored, Vapos itself will return to  _ my _ ownership, I will be able to re-establish myself as the pre-eminent War Proxy manufacturer in the Origin System, and  _ you  _ and your  _ Operator _ will be able to… Fuck off and bother someone else for a while until you get it in your collective heads to come try and murder me again for whatever Void-bedamned reason you can come up with.  Honestly I’m not even sure what you  _ do _ when you’re not trying to kill someone.”

The Harrow fell silent, seeming to weigh its options.  By any means necessary. “ _... That is a repressor.  I was fitted with it by the Red Veil shortly after my creation because they deemed me a failure.  It prevented me from moving under my own power. You removed it. Now I can move. You are fortunate I didn’t break your neck when I had the chance. _ ”

“Pff, like breaking my  _ neck _ would stop me for very long.”  Alad scoffed, picking up the repressor and turning it over in his hands.  “You were created? How? That is one secret that continues to elude me.”

The Harrow raised its chin slightly, straightening as best it could in the restraints.  “ _ I did not agree to tell you that.  For now, my portion of the agreement is fulfilled.  You need me for something. What is it? _ ”

Alad shrugged, setting the repressor aside.  He rubbed at a knot in his neck before looking back at the Harrow.  “You and your Operator were doing, ah… Vox Tenno broadcasts, yes? I’ve managed to convince Nef that I will be able to… heh,  _ animate  _ you long enough for us to do one.  Now, Mr. Anyo thinks that we will be broadcasting a message that will sedate the Solaris.  That is… The opposite of what I and your Operator want you to do. I’m not one for writing dramatic speeches ahead of time, so do you think you could handle improv?  We are on a bit of a schedule."

Silence followed Alad's question as the warframe considered its options.  Eventually, it nodded. The motion was slow and deliberate. " _ I can.  I do not trust you, Alad V.  But for this, you shall take the lead. _ "

 

\---

 

The soft sound of doors opening drew Nef's attention from the report he was writing.  He opened his mouth to angrily inform whoever had interrupted him to  _ knock _ , mostly so he could snap at them to leave, but Alad's telltale throat clear informed Nef of who it was before he even looked up.

"What  _ is _ it Mr V, I'm quite busy dealing with the Fortuna situation and I do not appreciate interrup-- By the Void you actually did it."  Nef had finally looked up. The Harrow was standing placidly behind Alad - unbound but placid. It was behaving much like a simple proxy awaiting input.  Alad, ever the dramatic, put his hand on his chest like Nef had shot him.

“You doubted me?”  He gasped. “You really thought that I wouldn’t be able to provide you this?  I really think it’s some of my best work, but we are going to have to broadcast soon.  I-- Ah… I’m not sure how long it’s going to last, and we really don’t want Vox Tenno to collapse in the middle of a broadcast.”

Nef pinched the bridge of his nose.  Only Alad was capable of bragging about how good he was before immediately admitting that he didn’t have a clear understanding of everything he had done, and without a trace of irony.  It was like the other Corpus was a walking migraine, and Nef put pressure on his temples a moment later to try and stop an actual one from happening.

“Fine.  Take it to the broadcast room and get everything set up.  I’ll be there soon.”

Alad nodded before turning on his heels and snapping his fingers for the Warframe to follow.  Once well-away from Nef’s office, the Harrow leaned forward and placed a hand on the back of Alad’s neck.  Its grip was cold and firm, pointed fingers digging into Alad’s skin hard enough to leave a red mark once it released him. 

“ _ Snap at me like that again and I will drop this charade and tear you in half _ .”

Alad rubbed his neck, clearing his throat a few times and trying to rearrange himself back into the confident man he had been just seconds ago.  He hadn't exactly  _ forgotten _ , per se, what the Warframe was capable of.  It had just slipped from the forefront of his mind in his triumph over Nef Anyo, and the Harrow's warning had forcibly returned it there.

"Aheh… So!"  Alad glanced back at the Warframe before gesturing to the broadcast studio.  "Let us begin."

 

\---

 

The broadcast began like the others.  A dark room, the Warframe the only source of illumination.  In Fortuna, the air was as tense as it was cold - the Solaris watching the screens with anticipation.  The Nightingale's message had spread as all rumors do, but there was some fear that even the Nightingale had been compromised.  The discerning few would be able to tell that, despite the occasional static that blurred the screen, this broadcast was being run on considerably better - or at least more expensive - equipment.

" _ I am sorry to say that I…  have deceived you. I am not Vox Tenno. _ "

"Guts."  Little Duck grumbled.  Biz swore loudly in concurrence while Eudico put her head in her hands.

" _ My name is Phylaca.  I am a Warframe. My Operator…  They are the Tenno. They are the one who walked the Void, and they are the one who placed themself in harm's way for the Solaris people.  They are not the voice of the Tenno. To call them such would be a gross overstatement. The Tenno do not have a singular, cohesive mind. _ "

Phylaca paused, steepling his fingers in front of himself, leaning closer to the camera.  Outside of the broadcast room, Alad gleefully and continually inputted his personal override code to keep the Warframe’s broadcast from being halted.  He had sealed himself in the studio, but he could still hear the commotion beginning outside in the hall. Corpus chatter filled the air as the chaos began to spread.  Nef would be furious, no doubt, but the Warframe was speaking again, and Alad’s attention was drawn to his words.

“ _ My Operator…  They are the one who took the name Vox Tenno while speaking to the Solaris people.  In that sense, they are Vox Tenno. It was their idea for us to speak to the Solaris, to become a figure they could look up to.  Someone who knows the true nature of the Void. _ ”  Phylaca gestured outward, a slow and sweeping motion as he continued to speak - growing more animated as he hit his stride.  “ _ Nef Anyo is desperate to bring any sense of legitimacy to his rule.  I know not if he was truly once a low-class Crewman or if that is pure fabrication, but he finds himself on unstable ground whenever his rule is called into question.  So what does he do? _ ”

The Harrow paused again, giving his listeners time to form their own answers before continuing.  “ _ He looks to the previous masters of the Origin System.  He looks to the Orokin. But he cannot claim Orokin blood, can he?  No, that would upset his previous narrative. So he looks to the Void.  The Orokin worshipped the Void, and it is known by many that the Tenno are linked to it.  So he claims the Void gave him his prosperity, and builds his Church upon these falsehoods.  He almost fetishizes the Void, bringing it into all that he does in a self-aggrandizing manner until he feels that the Void and himself are one and the same. _ ”

Phylaca leaned closer to the camera, the chains dangling off of his helm swaying side to side.  “ _ He is wrong.  There are none in the System who know the true nature of the Void.  Not I, not my Operator, and certainly not Mr Anyo. The foundation of his Church is unstable, more now than ever before.  Question everything. Question the old ways. Question what you have been told. Question the hegemony you have been saddled with since birth.  If someone tells you it is the way things have always been done, you look them in the eye and ask them why it is that way. Can they answer? _ ”

“ _ I leave you with this.  The System is not a kind place, but we can take steps so that it can become one.  Go in peace. _ ”  The broadcast ends, and Phylaca is alone in the studio.  The door slowly opens and the Harrow slowly stands to meet whoever is on the other side.

 

\---

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last voidtouched update of the fuckin decade babey!
> 
> did you guys know this fic is the longest thing ive ever written? wild right?
> 
> also we know phy's name in this fic now. I've had the reveal bouncing around in my brain since like. i started writing it lmao. Here's to more updates in the new year!


End file.
